Triple Trouble Adventure
by Dragonwiles
Summary: Can a good man join an army of evil and remain good? There is another parallel world in which the RaRa Army is fighting the war from the very beginning. Rated teen for having characters actually lose blood when injured.
1. Introduction

Can a good man join an army of evil and remain good? There is another parallel world in which the RaRa Army is fighting the war from the very beginning. Rated teen for having characters actually lose blood when injured.

Author's Disclaimer: This disclaimer shall be so construed as to apply to the entirety of this fanfiction. The author does not own, and does not claim to own, anything copyrighted, trademarked, or otherwise owned by anyone else. The author does not claim to own Dual, its characters or events or jokes or concepts, despite any usage of the above. All intellectual properties, copyrights, trademarks, and other items are the property of their respective owners.

Any similarity of ideas with any other fanfiction or other story is due to the adage that "great minds think alike." The author asserts that the ideas are at least semioriginal, in that he did not take them from any source, although the ideas may be derivative of stories or fanfictions in general.

**Big Huge Spoiler Warning:**

The following story takes place after the events of the TV series. Therefore, if you do not want the plot of the TV series spoiled in major ways, you should not read this story. By spoiled, I mean revealed to you before you are quite ready, possibly removing some emotional impact from the story.

**You have been warned: The whole story is a spoiler.**

Introduction:

It was commonly assumed that the Kajishima incident created only two parallel universes.

That assumption was proven wrong.

The Kajishima incident began when an artifact was unearthed during the construction of a city hall in Japan by Kajishima Construction. A construction worker named Masaki Yotsuga was ordered to remove and hide the artifact uncovered thus far to prevent archaeologists from learning of the find and delaying the construction.

In one universe, he did so. The universe proceeded normally for the next twenty-two years. Masaki Yotsuga married Atsuko and had a son, Kazuki Yotsuga.

In another he did inform scientists, among them Dr. Ken Sanada and Dr. Hiroshi Rara. They proceeded to excavate many more artifacts and analyze them. The artifacts were the last remnants of an undiscovered civilization, a civilization with technology far higher than the current level. Among the astonishing achievements of this lost civilization were the creation of massive machines, standing as large as multiple-story buildings. Some of these robots were found at the site.

Another significant difference between the two universes was a woman named Ayuko. In the universe where the artifact lay dormant, Ayuko married Dr. Sanada, and their child was Mitsuki Sanada. Ayuko abandoned her new family for another man, leaving Mitsuki Sanada and Dr. Sanada alone.

In the world with robots, Ayuko married Dr. Rara, and their child was Mitsuki Rara. Ayuko, a self-serving and manipulative woman, remained faithful because of her desire for power.

Inside the artifact was found a being in suspended animation. The scientific team judged it too risky to attempt to revive the being, and instead constructed a new, artificial body for it, using the artifact's technology they were learning to command. The artificial body was so sophisticated that it was almost impossible to tell from a real body. The artificial body was termed a bioroid, and Dr. Sanada named the being D. D appeared to be a female human of fourteen, but she retained the mind and soul of a survivor of the uncovered civilization. As an indelible reminder of this, her bioroid body bore an unearthly blue light in one of her eyes. In one of her few concessions to human feelings, D kept this eye covered with a lock of her hair.

The power of the artifacts was incredible. D's suspended animation facility and the bioroid technology represented amazing feats in biology and cybernetics. The analyses indicated that the giant robots were capable of incredible feats of strength, carrying enormous weapons, and even controlling the weather over a large area. Also uncovered were airborne vessels of incredible size, armed with myriad laser weapons.

People began to wonder what the governments of the earth would do with such knowledge. Dr. Rara and his wife Ayuko began to suggest that the nations of the world would go to war to obtain the power of the artifact, and would then use artifact technology to wage new and even more destructive wars. They suggested that the only way to prevent a massive war was to unite all the nations of the globe, by force if necessary, but hopefully without the loss of human life.

Dr. Rara and Ayuko eventually gathered enough supporters, and stole much of the artifact technology, including several combat robots and a battleship as large as an island. The Raras fled into the ocean and used that battleship island as a base. Mitsuki Rara was born on it soon after. Dr. Rara and Ayuko Rara established a new organization, the RaRa Army, of which Dr. Rara became president. The RaRa Army's declared purpose was uniting the world under Pres. Rara, preventing a massive, destructive war, halting their opponents without bloodshed, and giving prosperity to all their subjects.

Ayuko and Mitsuki Rara assisted Dr. Rara in his bid for world domination. Mitsuki Rara occasionally was a combat robot pilot, but her main role became Ms. Rah, the propagandist and battlefield commander for the RaRa Army. Ayuko was content for a time simply to aid in behind-the-scenes decision making.

Dr. Sanada had been suspicious of Dr. Rara, and made a backup of the data that he was collecting. After Dr. Rara's theft, Dr. Sanada and those who supported him kept control of the dig site. Using the backup data, he began to construct the Core Robots, based on their best understanding of the alien technology. He also began the demanding task of establishing the Earth Defense Force to resist Pres. Rara's attempt at global conquest.

Pres. Rara's combat robots were so strong that the Earth Defense Force was the only military organization capable of defeating the RaRa Army in battle. President Rara and Commander Sanada had agreed to a system in order to prevent the loss of human life. Only the combat robots would fight for territory, and only at prearranged times and places, to allow for the populace to evacuate the combat zone. If any pilot was endangered, that pilot's army would surrender the land and get to keep the pilot and robot.

The greatest challenge for the Earth Defense Force was finding good pilots. Yayoi Schwael was a top-rated pilot, officer material, with good instincts and tactical knowledge. She became the pilot for one of the three Core Robots. Her grandmother, Mrs. Reika Nanjyoin, was one of Dr. Sanada's greatest financial backers.

D proved to be an excellent pilot as well, her experience with combat robots and the civilization that created them making her very effective.

In the normal, ordinary world, Dr. Sanada and Dr. Rara were dimensional physicists who toiled to prove the existence of a parallel world. Kazuki Yotsuga had grown into a teenager, but a very troubled one. He was capable of catching occasional glimpses of the combat robots in the parallel universe fighting each other, and yet no trace of their destructive rampages remained in his own world. Everyone around him, even he himself, doubted his sanity.

Kazuki Yotsuga became the butt of jokes all around the school, and rumor of this reached the daughter of Dr. Sanada, Mitsuki Sanada. She and her father realized Kazuki might have a previously inconceivable ability- to view a parallel world. Mitsuki Sanada thought she was only inviting Kazuki Yotsuga to her home so that her father could run tests on him to learn why he had these visions, but her father's zealous eccentricities and a lab accident she was partly responsible for transported Kazuki to the alternate universe.

Kazuki Yotsuga was never born in this alternate universe, and had nowhere to go. He found Yayoi Schwael injured on the battlefield, and suddenly found that he could pilot her robot-an unprecedented event, since only females could pilot them. Mitsuki Sanada, who had gone to the parallel world to look for him, had arrived a month before Kazuki, and already was a pilot for the Earth Defense Force. Cmdr. Sanada, unlike his counterpart, didn't have any machines ready to send Kazuki and Mitsuki Sanada back to their original world, so they determined to end the war as soon as possible. When the war was over, Cmdr. Sanada could concentrate on sending them home. Kazuki piloted the robot Yayoi had once used, as she shifted into a role as an instructor.

Kazuki was captured by the RaRa Army, but escaped with the aid of Mitsuki Rara and her friends. Mitsuki Rara's moral qualms eventually led her and her friends to defect to Kazuki and Dr. Sanada.

The Earth Defense Force eventually lost so much ground that it was forced to flee in an artifact warship, and Mitsuki Sanada was captured by the RaRa Army. At the same time, it became clear that the two parallel worlds were beginning to destroy each other. Kazuki Yotsuga, in his incredibly powerful robot Zinv, managed to crush the RaRa Army. He agreed to destroy all artifact technology, including Zinv, in the hopes of averting catastrophe for both worlds, even though this meant risking his own life.

The result of this sacrifice was that the two universes were combined into a synthesis of them, where everyone had their memories of what had happened, but would be able to live together peacefully. There was no artifact technology except for Zinv, who arrived some time after the synthesis universe began. Kazuki, and Drs. Sanada and Rara had hopes of using artifact technology to explore outer space, dreams which would require some years of planning and work. In the meantime, everyone could live happy, normal lives.

There is at least one other universe parallel to those two universes, and possibly yet more worlds parallel to all of them. The history of one of such universe, and its part in the lives of Kazuki and those connected to him, will be considered in this story.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

Few institutions have a bogeyman, but Dr. Sanada was the bogeyman for this college.

This semimythical figure was the talk of many graduate students, and they seemed almost perversely proud to have such an icon. Kent Slade, a foreign graduate student, found rumors of any sort repulsive, but was compelled to listen because people would not hold their peace. Finally, Kent decided that, against his will, he had been contaminated by these probably baseless rumors. He needed to determine the truth about this Dr. Sanada character, so he could replace the gossip, at least in his own mind. Kent did not, however, know how to find Dr. Sanada himself, so he tried to ask around about him.

Will Lewis, another foreign graduate student, advised against learning anything more about Dr. Sanada.

Choi Hae-rim, nicknamed Naoko Yoshi for easier pronunciation, was a doctoral student who often used the lab just before Kent did. Yoshi didn't advise against Dr. Sanada so much by words as by her nervous expression and admission that all she knew was hearsay. Clearly it was all bad hearsay, but she didn't want to be the one to pass it on. She didn't want to destroy someone's reputation when all she knew was rumors, but also didn't ever want to test the rumors.

Rumor had it that Dr. Sanada was a mad scientist. He was mysteriously loaded with all sorts of funding for research projects that were either sinister, ill-conceived, or revolutionary yet diabolical, depending on who was telling the story. Everyone agreed on one point: he was so creepy that, despite the vast amounts of money he had and his genius, he couldn't get promoted above assistant professor, and not one graduate student would work for him.

Kent didn't want to test the rumors any more than Yoshi, but since it was impossible not to hear them, he wanted to replace them with truth and facts. Narayanan was a grad student in the Bible study Kent attended since he came to the college, and had always been helpful and trustworthy.

"Dr. Sanada," Narayanan repeated part of Kent Slade's inquiry, as he always did for any question. A pained look crossed his face. "Well, nobody knows a lot about him, but it is not the usual case. Usually no one knows a lot about him because nobody tries to be his friend. Many people, faculty, you know, tried to be his friend before I started my studies here, but he wouldn't really get close to them. I have tried talking to him, but he is almost totally obsessed with his research."

Narayanan paused, then he began to temper the assessment he'd just delivered. "He has some reason, of course. He was deeply in love with his wife, and their baby girl, not more than a year old. What was their child's name? I heard this story from my advisor, by the way. This is not more than you wanted to know, right?"

Kent responded, "No, thank you. This is just what I wanted to know. I hate rumors, but nobody can help hearing about Dr. Sanada. I felt obligated to help restore his reputation by learning the truth."

"Good. Oh! His daughter's name, it was Mitsuki. Anyhow, there was a terrible epidemic about that time, Mitsuki caught it, then his wife caught it, and Dr. Sanada caught it. They all checked into the hospital, and all of them were moved to the intensive care unit eventually. When Dr. Sanada woke from his fever, he had to be told that his wife and child had died from the disease."

Kent gasped. "That's really sad."

Narayanan nodded. "I know. When I heard it, I suddenly understood him, and it was then that I sought him out to try and talk to him. It was quite difficult to find him, though. He usually is either in the dimensional physics lab, or at home, or even visiting Dr. Rara."

"Dr. Rara sounds familiar. Wait, isn't he that famous physicist? The one on TV last night?"

"Yes, that is the one. He is a dimensional physicist too, among other things. They are also both avid amateur archaeologists."

"Strange combination."

"I was surprised myself. Anyhow, like I said, he would talk about nothing except his research. Most people in any culture try to keep up some sort of small talk, but he hardly even made an effort at it. He began to talk endlessly of his current research, and I eventually had to leave him to make a class I was helping with. Sometimes I fear he is letting his lost love poison his chances for happiness at any point in his future."

"We'll both have to pray that such doesn't happen."

"Yes," Narayanan agreed. "I will not try to commit you to anything, and this may not be a good idea. Dr. Sanada can be..."

"Intense?" Kent supplied.

"Yes. Well, anyhow, if you see him, do try to talk to him. Maybe you will have more luck going with the flow of his mind than against it. Dr. Rara is funding his projects, try asking him about the project Dr. Rara is funding right now. I have got to go now, but it was good seeing you." They both stood.

"Thank you so much for straightening things out. See ya!" Kent returned, and they parted.

Author's Notes:

**Important announcement about Mitsuki Sanada and Ayuko:** They are still alive in the synthesis world. I repeat, they are alive. Mitsuki Sanada and Ayuko are alive in the synthesis world. I hope I have said it clearly enough.

As you may have guessed by now, this part of the story regrettably doesn't involve too many of the actual main characters. For example, I've left out Kazuki Yotsuga, who, you may recall, is the actual protagonist of the series. Eventually, I will bring them back, though not necessarily in this installation of the story. To make up for that, we'll peek into what's happening in the synthesis world in various (hopefully) comic interludes. The first interlude will be released today, and the next chapter tomorrow. The main characters will return to the main plot in 15 days.

Narayanan and Kent are talking in English, for mutual practice. They practice Japanese all the rest of the day, since they are living in Japan! Most of the other speech in this chapter is technically in Japanese, but I don't know that language, so we shall assume that this is a perfect translation from the Japanese they actually spoke to the English I wrote.

There are a few times when the speech is not in Japanese, like the aforementioned conversation with Narayanan, and whenever Kent talks to his family, but I think you can figure that out.


	3. Interlude 1

Interlude 1

Mitsuki Sanada walked towards Kazuki Yotsuga's room.

She was alive, alive in this world which was a synthesis. This new, synthesis world was a combination between the ordinary world where she and Kazuki had come from, and another world full of giant robots where neither of them quite existed. The synthesis world was largely normal, but peculiar effects still persisted. Everyone had at least two sets of memories: one from the synthesis world, and one from the robot world. She and Kazuki and her father, Dr. Sanada, as well as many others, had three sets of memories, the other being from the world without giant robots. This world didn't have any artifacts or giant robots, except for Zinv. Zinv had been destroyed in order to create this world, but he had reappeared recently, and been moved to Dr. Rara's island lab. She still remembered that boat ride, with her father carefully watching Dr. Rara and his wife Ayuko, and they for their part carefully watching herself and Dr. Sanada. Kazuki Yotsuga had eyes only for Zinv, carefully tethered belowdecks.

The only thing that was comfortable on that ride was her clothes: she had been able to get out of that hideous Ms. Rah outfit before she left. There had been so much tension because everyone's memories made it hard to trust the others sometimes, yet now an equilibrium had been worked out once again.

It was about time that Kazuki got up, but he was a heavy sleeper and it was very difficult to wake him. So Mitsuki Sanada would probably have to wake him again, and make sure that no one was in his room bothering him and making him late for breakfast and school.

She was too late to see Ayuko Rara clamber up to open Kazuki's second story bedroom window, but she opened the door in time to see Ayuko pull herself into the room over the windowsill.

Mitsuki Sanada was so taken aback that she gasped in surprise. Then she yelled, "What are you doing in here?"

Ayuko calmly replied, "I rang the doorbell at least ten times, but no one let me in. So I had to come this way."

"I've been up for the past two hours and haven't heard a thing!" Mitsuki shouted accusingly.

"Then I guess you can tell me what I need to know. I need to find my daughter. She must've been sleepwalking again, and I was wondering if she was here."

Mitsuki Rara usually lived at Dr. Sanada's house, but for the past week she had been staying at the new townhouse of her parents, Dr. Rara and Ayuko. They had bought it after the destruction of one of their earlier houses. The new house was nearby, so they could visit the Sanadas, although they also had a mansion on the island with their laboratory. Mitsuki Rara often slept walked, but Mitsuki Sanada had never heard of her actually leaving a building during such perambulations. She wondered just what had been going on at the Rara residence.

"I can't be sure. I was in the kitchen most of the time, and she's very quiet," Mitsuki explained more softly, because of her shock.

Kazuki had stirred in his sleep during the discussion just related, but not fully woken up. Now his alarm clock rang, and he blearily stirred again, but still failed to get up. Ayuko, irritated by the noise, silenced the alarm clock. Kazuki had finally reached out to do so, and stopped as the noise did. He looked up and yelped.

"Mrs. Rara?" he said in mixed fear and sleepiness.

"Now look what you've done," Yayoi said from behind Ayuko. "You've scared him."

Yayoi often climbed through Kazuki's window, but she had an easier time of it because she lived in the building next door on the second floor and there was a connecting walkway between the two houses.

Kazuki finally managed to sit up, facing Ayuko. Mitsuki Sanada and the open doorway were behind him. Ayuko's eyes lit as Mitsuki Rara, in a nightgown and with her eyes nearly closed, padded past Kazuki's room and went further down the hall.

"Mitsuki, wake up!" called Ayuko.

Kazuki looked behind him and saw only Mitsuki Sanada. "Uh, is she sleepwalking like the other Mitsuki always does?"

Ayuko rushed out into the hallway, and the others followed. Mitsuki Rara had reached the end of the hallway, but now turned back towards her mother.

"Mitsuki, wake up!" ordered Ayuko.

Mitsuki Rara's eyes opened, and she stood straighter. "Yes, mother," she agreed in an odd, yet familiar, voice. She moved with a quick and alert gait into the room that she shared with Mitsuki Sanada at the Sanada residence.

"I'm surprised that she ventured out this far," remarked Yayoi.

"It's happened before. She gave us such a scare the first time, when she was only about 8..." Ayuko broke off.

"Are you sure she's awake yet? Why did she go in our room?" Mitsuki Sanada asked.

Mitsuki Rara now emerged from the room. She was dressed in her usual clothing, and her eyes clearly acknowledged everyone, yet didn't seem to recognize them all.

"Mitsuki?" ventured Mitsuki Sanada.

"The godlike Mr. Rara will rule the world! All of our ancient technology is designed to help and protect people! We only need your acceptance of our government," was the bold proclamation of Mitsuki Rara- now subsumed in her alter ego, the propagandist Ms. Rah.

"I don't think I can stand going through this again," sighed Mitsuki Sanada.

"Mitsuki, snap out of it!" Kazuki cried.

"We will always be victorious in battle, and we only desire your unswerving loyalty to our cause. Then there will be peace and prosperity!" Ms. Rah had seemed to sense that the others were speaking, and delayed her speech until they were not talking, yet not a hint could be found that she had comprehended anything that anyone said.

Ayuko's eyes had widened as soon as Mitsuki began her speech, and she now took a step backwards.

Yayoi glared at Ayuko. "This must be what you came here for."

"No, no, I don't understand. This is a self-induced trance, it's what she always did for the trailers."

"But she didn't induce this one right here, you did," Mitsuki Sanada accused her. "It must've been when you told her to wake up!"

"That's not possible!" Ayuko's voice had risen in horror. "She always placed herself under the influence for the trailers, and she's never done anything like this for the trailers."

Kazuki's countenance was grim. "You have placed her under mind control before. Release her!"

Ayuko began, "Mitsuki-" but was cut off by the voice of Dr. Sanada below. "It's not like you to be slowpokes about breakfast. Get down here, kids! And where's Yayoi? She'd have to be confined to bed to not be here. Has anyone seen her?"

Ms. Rah, with a deliberate and lengthy stride, pushed past them all to the stairs. Not expecting this, she was beyond their reach and halfway down the stairs before they quite realized it. "The foolish Dr. Sanada dares to oppose our power!" she said in a stage voice that carried halfway across the house.

"Glad to have you back!" called Dr. Sanada in return. "That sure brings back old memories." He laughed.

Akane poked her head and its worried expression out of the kitchen. "Yes, most of them bad. What's going on?"

Behind her, Dee was pouring food for Kumu, their dog. "I didn't know Mitsuki was coming to breakfast," Dee remarked.

Dr. Sanada was seated at the table. Ms. Rah stopped some feet away from it, faced him and began to propagandize with imperious and forceful gestures. Ayuko entered a few seconds later, stood directly in front of her daughter, looked her in the eye and barked, "Ms. Rah, the trailer is over."

Ms. Rah continued her speech.

Kazuki and the others had entered the room shortly after Ayuko. Dr. Sanada ran out of the room after the unsuccessful intervention. Ayuko was frozen.

Akane approached Ayuko with murder in her eyes. "I can hardly believe you did this to your own daughter!"

Ayuko had not moved a muscle, and her eyes were growing wild. "She always emerges from the trance herself, she chooses when. It's a self-induced trance. She can do it if she wants to," retorted Ayuko. "I never was supposed to awaken her from the Ms. Rah trance, there's just no way to do it. Everyone always blames me for these things."

"Usually you're the one causing them!" exclaimed Kazuki.

Dr. Sanada's voice could be heard down the hallway. He was on the phone, demanding to know the location of Dr. Rara and Zinv. "If he's gone and started the war again..."

Kumu heard Ms. Rah's propaganda and ran to her, seated herself on her hind legs before her, and wagged her tail furiously. Ms. Rah squatted on a level with the dog, smiled and petted it, and addressed it thusly: "Foolish member of the human race! You will bow down before the might of the RaRa Army!"

Kumu began to lick her face.

Ms. Rah began to laugh maniacally. She ordered the canine: "Stop, you're always tickling me."

Kazuki got on his hands and knees and looked at her. "Mitsuki, you've got to stop this!"

"Yes," Mitsuki Rara replied, "she does need to stop! She always licks me!" She giggled. Then she paused.

"Why am I at Dr. Sanada's house?"

Kumu whined in disappointment.


	4. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Several days after his conversation with Narayanan, Kent was walking through the halls of the college. He was on his way to meet his advisor, Dr. Ken Warai.

Kent Cletis Cyrus Slade, intensely ashamed of his bizarre middle name, had been graduated magna cum laude, and had gotten a bachelor's degree in astronautical engineering. He had gone to Japan, and this college in particular, to become the graduate student of Dr. Warai because of his reputation in the field. Dr. Warai wasn't well-known outside his field, but he was acknowledged as brilliant, if unconventional, within it. Kent had begun to learn Japanese because one of his favorite middle-school teachers in the United States had known it, and began to teach it to him. California was Kent's home state, and home to many Japanese immigrants and Americans of Japanese descent, so he was able to continue learning, and was fluent by the time he left for Japan. This was fortunate, because Dr. Warai had struggled with English in school, and delighted in talking at incredible speed in Japanese.

Dr. Warai and Kent had hit it off from the start, when Kent had sent the first email of what became a lengthy correspondence. Kent had flown over for a few days to see if he actually would enjoy committing vast amounts of money and time to his education, and was further convinced he had found the right advisor. Dr. Warai believed in hard work, but was fair. He had informally reserved a place for him among his graduate students, a great consolation for Kent, since he didn't want to spend so much money on application fees, airfare, housing, and tuition, only to lose the prize for which he had labored.

Kent had plenty of time to get to his meeting, even if something unexpected happened.

A man in a lab coat walked out of the cafeteria, looked at Kent, and ran in front of him.

"Hey, wait a minute, please! You're Kate Staid, aren't you! No, wait, I know it, it's Kent Slade! I've heard so much about you! Wait, did I introduce myself? I guess it was only in my mind. I'm Dr. Ken Sanada. I'm so very pleased to meet you!" This delivery was roared in a voice that could've shaken the school to its foundations if it had not escaped so quickly. Dr. Sanada took Kent's hand in a handshake that threatened to either crush it or shake it off his limb. He probably would've tried to give Kent a manly bearhug, except that Kent had stepped back slightly.

Had Dr. Sanada been waiting in the cafeteria to ambush him? In a lab coat? Well, the lab coat wasn't so odd, the scientists around here loved to wear them. Slade was a little surprised to think that Dr. Sanada, the rumored mad scientist, had heard of him, but he supposed rumors worked both ways. It was quite an odd coincidence that Dr. Sanada had now sought him out, just when Kent had been trying to clear Dr. Sanada's reputation in absentia.

"I would like to offer to you, young man, a job!" Dr. Sanada said with a self-satisfied grin.

"Dr. Sanada," said Kent, surprised he could get a word in edgewise, "I'm afraid I already have an advisor."

"Oh, yeah, Dr. Warai. Yeah, but I was just talking to him, about this proposition that I have. A side job!" he concluded triumphantly.

Kent waited with patient interest for more details.

"You have the unique opportunity to not only visit, but explore, a parallel world!"

Slade blinked. "That's possible?"

"Why not?" Dr. Sanada asked in confusion.

"Well, sir, you're the dimensional physicist, I guess you know. I simply wasn't aware that there actually were any confirmed parallel universes," Kent said, not wishing to offend Dr. Sanada with his honest surprise.

"You'd be the one to confirm my theory!" Dr. Sanada exclaimed.

"I don't understand sir," said a bewildered Kent. "I'd be going to a place that may not exist?"

"I'm sure it exists! Look how much tension there is between nations! Look how unstable the world economy is! See how no one accepts my theories!" Dr. Sanada said conclusively.

Kent Slade was sorely confused. He couldn't see how any of that would be caused by a parallel world. Kent wasn't sure that he knew what exactly a parallel world was. Did Dr. Sanada mean the sort of thing that Slade read about in science fiction, or a more boring and limited, but stranger and more useful thing that was actually real?

He remembered Narayanan's advice, to go with the flow of Dr. Sanada's mind. He was glad he had been advised that, for there seemed no alternative except to bid the eccentric professor adieu. "How would I go to this other universe, Dr. Sanada?" Kent asked. "And how would I get back?"

"You'd use my greatest creation, the Super-Ultra-Deluxe Parallel World Transporter!"

Kent waited a few seconds, then prodded, "How would I get back, Dr. Sanada?"

Dr. Sanada looked at Kent quizzically. "I was hoping for your reaction to the name."

Kent shrugged. "I'm not sure I understand its name, Dr. Sanada, but I would like to understand how a person could return from the parallel world."

Dr. Sanada crossed his arms and fumed, "I think it's a great name, really. It's really deluxe, especially compared to the last model. This one actually has leather cushions on the seat. My first model didn't have any padding at all."

Kent was tired of following Dr. Sanada's mind, but tapped all of his reserves of patience to ask again about how he would return. Dr. Sanada recovered from his funk to remark candidly, "Well, once you're there, it'll be simple. You'd explore as long as you like, and then you can just find me in that universe, my counterpart who is over there. He'll send you home!"

Astonishment filled Kent's mind. Was this seriously his plan for returning? What if he couldn't meet Dr. Sanada in the parallel world? What if Dr. Sanada were dead or had never existed in the first place in the other world? Kent knew that the doctor was not an engineer, and that engineers were considered obsessed with redundancy and backups, but he would've thought Dr. Sanada would've at least come up with a Plan B in case this idea didn't work out. Yet Dr. Sanada seemed surprised at the prospect.

"I'm very dependable, and the other me would be too! We wouldn't leave you in an uncomfortable situation!" Perhaps he was more offended than surprised. Kent didn't want to offend him, but felt obliged to point out potential problems and help to solve them. That was what engineers did.

"I know you wouldn't mean to, Dr. Sanada," Kent said clearly, "but there's not a lot you could do about it if you never were born in the other world. Sir, all I'm saying is that there needs to be some sort of independent device for the return trip."

Dr. Sanada actually appeared to be seriously considering Kent's words. The haze of frenzy which enshrouded him was evidently not impervious.

For his part, Kent was surprised to hear himself discussing travel to a parallel world with Dr. Sanada as though it were rational. On the one hand, Kent had no way to know of whether it was or not, yet he was skeptical of the prospect. Didn't it violate some rule of quantum mechanics? Perhaps he was misremembering those rules, though. It still seemed unlikely.

"Oh, no," muttered Dr. Sanada. "I'm half an hour late for the class I'm teaching again." He sprinted down the hallway, shouting back at Kent, "Sorry to leave you so soon! Think about my offer!"

Kent easily managed to meet Dr. Warai on time. In fact, both of them were early for their meeting together, but they both enjoyed doing that because they liked being early. They greeted each other warmly and had their usual conversations about the current research project. When that conversation was exhausted, Dr. Warai smiled slightly.

"May I speak on another subject, Dr. Warai?" queried Kent.

Dr. Warai queried in return, "I presume it has to do with my colleague Dr. Sanada and his offer?" Dr. Warai's smile widened. He had sensed Kent's uneasiness, and suspected this was the cause.

"Yes sir," Kent replied with a rueful grin, realizing that Dr. Warai had deduced what had happened.

"I hope you'll forgive my colleague's eccentricities. He means well."

"I do, sir. Sir, did he ask you about offering me a part-time job?" Kent asked nervously.

"Dr. Sanada did ask me if it'd be all right, and I told him it would be all right. You don't have to take it if you don't want to. I just was going to suggest to you anyways that you might want to take some sort of part time job, and as you've found, it can be easier to agree with Dr. Sanada than to put up any sort of resistance to him." Dr. Warai chuckled slightly.

"You've helped me to get quite a few fellowships, doctor," Kent offered diffidently.

"Not for the money," Dr. Warai clarified, and as his enthusiasm kindled, his speech increased in velocity, "but for the experience. Real-world experience, you know, where things can go disastrously wrong and yet everyone survives at the end. Like being a waiter at a restaurant, that was one of mine. I dropped four trays of dirty dishes on three separate occasions one supper, we didn't have enough dishes for all the customers and were constantly washing more, but we all survived that night, and we learned how to recover from mistakes. More than that, we learned to order more dishes so we wouldn't face that emergency again. Four whole trays of dirty dishes!" Dr. Warai and Kent began to laugh together.

"I see, sir. What do you recommend about Dr. Sanada's offer, sir?" Kent said once their laughter was finished.

Dr. Warai was thoughtful. "Perhaps you should. I don't know much about it myself, though. It's totally out of the realm of astronautics. You probably thought he was joking, didn't you?"

"I hope I didn't offend him with my astonishment," Kent admitted.

"Well, it astonished me too. I have no idea whether he is actually anywhere close to sending things to a parallel world, or what proof anyone has that such a thing exists. Perhaps he's convinced that there is another world, but hasn't actually quite proven it, and it's research, not exploration, that the job is actually about. Even if it was exploration, it does sound exciting, doesn't it?" Dr. Warai seemed a little surprised at Kent's lack of enthusiasm.

"It is exciting, sir, but dangerous too. I could handle some danger, if only there were more plans to handle dangers and difficulties. Dr. Sanada hasn't even got a certain way of retrieving people from the other world! If I went today, I might never get back!" Kent said with some passion: this was his life he was talking about.

"I didn't know it was that bad," murmured Dr. Warai, shocked.

"To be fair, he did seem to consider my concerns, but I'd rather not visit places without any method of getting back," Kent said, forcing himself to calm down.

Dr. Warai thought a moment, then began to speak rapidly and excitedly. "Don't go if there are any problems, Slade. That obviously wouldn't be a good idea. But I think that you've already helped Dr. Sanada immensely, and you might find great value in helping him more. Slade, I recommend that you consider it."

Kent frowned, but agreed, "I'll consider it."

Dr. Warai had a nostalgic look in his eye. "Slade," he said, "did you know, I met Dr. Rara, and Dr. Sanada, at one of my astronautics conferences?"

"An astronautics conference?" Kent was surprised.

"Yes, I didn't even know that Dr. Sanada was part of the faculty here, he's such a recluse. Anyhow, they both came to hear my paper on reasons why interstellar colonization was a good idea, and possible methods on how to do it. They both talked to me later, said they loved my paper, and agreed completely." He smiled at the memory of their praise. "It might even have been the first time Dr. Rara and Dr. Sanada met, but I'm not sure. They certainly knew each other by the time they came to see me. Both of them were suggesting their own ideas for interstellar colonization, and they each claimed the other had stolen theirs. It was clear to me that they were both so similar in enthusiasm that their thoughts had to be similar."

Kent was at a loss to explain the range of interests encompassed by the duo of Dr. Sanada and Dr. Rara: professional dimensional physicists, amateur archaeologists, and interstellar colonization apologists. Was there a common thread, or were they simply modern Renaissance men?

What reasons there were for Kent's lack of interest were clear; the eccentricities of Dr. Sanada, the possibly ludicridity of his plans, and the dangers to life, limb, and sanity involved in attempting to visit a place that might not exist. Kent had to admit, though, that the prospect of exploring, of seeing for himself a place that he, least of anyone, expected to find, was tantalizing. Did he really believe in coincidences, or was there purpose and structure to all of this? The opportunity had been placed squarely in his path, almost without effort on his own part. Was it right to disdain it because of its strangeness and danger? In doing so, he would be disdaining those who had offered it to him, for it was the fruit of their labors. On the other hand, was it right to bite into the fruit before he was sure it wasn't a bad apple?

"Dr. Warai," Kent decided, "this is the idea I've just come to. I think I'll talk to Dr. Sanada and offer to work for him on the parallel world transporter for a time, so I can hopefully learn whether another world even exists and if it is possible to travel to it. Sir, I'll make it clear from the beginning that I will not go to that other world if I deem any part of the plan too risky."

Dr. Warai nodded. "I approve of it. Please do remember your last sentence. Risk is unavoidable, but taking unnecessary risk is unwise."

Kent nodded in return. He knew that his suspicions that Dr. Sanada's parallel world didn't exist at all might be true or untrue. Kent knew the risks, knew that his time with Dr. Sanada might result in a dead end in research or his own death in an attempt to visit the other world. He feared what his own soul had decided in this matter, but he knew above all else that the only reason he had for declining Dr. Sanada's own offer was fear. Kent would use that fear to force Dr. Sanada to build in safeguards and redundancies, but would not let fear be his master. Should the time ever come that the risks of visiting another universe were as understood and controlled as possible, Kent Slade decided that he would make the journey despite any and all fears that welled up within him.

Making that journey was, after all, an exciting and interesting prospect.

"I will help you with one part of the job," Dr. Warai continued, "which is to help you check the schematics for Dr. Sanada's main device, which will be transporting you. After all," he joked, "we wouldn't want you to get killed! Not before our own research project is done!" Kent laughed with him.


	5. Interlude 2

Interlude 2

Mrs. Reika Nanjyoin pressed the doorbell and waited composedly. After some time standing on the step of the Sanada residence, she said, "Hmm," and pressed the doorbell again. She waited composedly for some more time, and then composedly knocked on the door. This time, Mitsuki Sanada opened the door.

"Mrs. Nanjyoin! What a nice surprise to see you!" Mitsuki Sanada greeted her with unfeigned cheer.

"How nice to see you, Mitsuki," Mrs. Nanjyoin greeted her with a smile.

"You can come in if you like," Mitsuki Sanada stepped back to allow her inside.

"Thank you. Is your mother at home?" Mrs. Nanjyoin asked as she followed Mitsuki Sanada.

"No," Mitsuki Sanada replied, "She had to go out shopping. She'll return soon."

"By the way, Mitsuki," Mrs. Nanjyoin added, "did you know that your doorbell is broken?"

"Yes," sighed Mitsuki Sanada, "the repairman is supposed to come today."

Mrs. Nanjyoin said no more.

After Mrs. Nanjyoin was seated on the couch, Mitsuki Sanada asked if Mrs. Nanjyoin wanted anything to drink or eat.

"No, thank you," she replied. "Mitsuki, aren't Kazuki, Dee, and my granddaughter home by this time usually?"

"Yes, but Kazuki had to take Dee to a doctor's appointment, and I think Yayoi's in a staff meeting."

Akane entered the room and greeted Mrs. Nanjyoin. Mitsuki Sanada excused herself: "I'm afraid I have a lot of work to do."

"Please go ahead," said Mrs. Nanjyoin. Akane sat down and they began to talk.

"Is Mitsuki Rara feeling well?" inquired Mrs. Nanjyoin.

"As far as we know," Akane sighed. "My sister insisted on taking her back to their home again, but Mitsuki said she'd come back in two days, and that's today."

"I am glad for her that nothing more serious occurred," Mrs. Nanjyoin remarked.

"Thank you for your concern," Akane forced her worries out of herself. "How is the work progressing?"

"In some respects, it is going very slowly. Without any artifacts to build upon, we have to manufacture and design everything ourselves. A great deal of time is spent upon that. Considering, however, that Dr. Sanada and Dr. Rara want a spaceship that has done something humans have never, to our knowledge, done before, we are actually progressing rather well." Mrs. Nanjyoin's hands were folded in her lap.

"I'm glad of that," Akane said. "Space isn't exactly the place I'd want to go, but it is very important to Ken and Kazuki. I'm surprised, though; there were some major setbacks just a few days ago."

Though Mrs. Nanjyoin didn't show it, she was perturbed. "There were, but then the problem was solved. I'd like you to look at the design documents that solved them, if you would please." Mrs. Nanjyoin gave Akane a document.

Scrutinizing it, Akane felt odd, and said, "We've seen this before, haven't we?"

"When the solution came, it seemed very familiar to me as well. Dr. Sanada and Dr. Rara enthusiastically approved it, but I was able to determine later that they had deja vu."

Akane continued, "This is one of the artifact's advanced systems, isn't it? It almost looks like one of the fuel delivery systems for the Core Robots."

Mrs. Nanjyoin said mildly, "Your memory is better on that point than any of ours. I'm certain that Dr. Sanada would recall it given time, however."

Akane stared at Mrs. Nanjyoin. "Should this even be possible?"

Mrs. Nanjyoin gazed back. "I am attempting to look into it."

There was a knock on the door.

Akane opened the door to find a young man standing on the doorstep holding a toolbox. He was dressed in a drab uniform, and bore a name tag that read Slade. He was a duplicate of the Kent Slade sent to another universe. This doorbell repairman was just another denizen of the synthesis world, with no odd adventures or mad scientists disordering his life.

"Good afternoon, ma'am," Kent introduced himself, "I'm Kent Slade, and I've been asked to fix your doorbell."

"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Slade. My name is Akane. I'm glad you've come, and on time as well. We really need that thing fixed," Akane responded.

"So, I suppose you press it but it doesn't make any sound?" Kent inquired.

"Exactly right," Akane replied, relieved that Slade seemed competent.

"Very well, I'll begin by looking at the wiring for the doorbell button. I may need to come into the house to look at the speakers that make the doorbell noise."

"Thank you so much."

"You're welcome," Kent nodded. Akane went back inside the house, and Kent began to unscrew the doorbell button cover.

This Kent Slade looked exactly the same as the one who had been offered a job to visit another universe by Dr. Sanada. They shared the same name, the same face, and most of the same memories. This Kent, however, was native to the synthesis universe. He had never been asked by Dr. Sanada to investigate a parallel universe, because Dr. Sanada had never done that in the synthesis universe. The Kent fixing the doorbell was the synthesis universe's duplicate or counterpart of the Kent who was considering visiting another universe. Similarly, Dr. Sanada in the synthesis universe was the counterpart of the Dr. Sanada who had asked Kent to go to another world. It could even be said that the Kent who was considering going to another universe was the counterpart of the Kent fixing the doorbell, and vice versa for Dr. Sanada. All of this was very strange, but even stranger things had been learned about counterparts. For example, Mitsuki Sanada and Mitsuki Rara were counterparts, despite the facts that they had different fathers and different ages and didn't look exactly alike. There were even stranger counterparts that were known to them, and possibly stranger ones that they did not know about.

Kazuki and Dee were returning from the doctor when they were joined by Mitsuki Rara. They all greeted each other pleasantly, then Mitsuki Rara, with a worried expression, bowed slightly.

"I'm so sorry to have worried you all," Mitsuki Rara said for the millionth time.

"That's all in the past," Kazuki wasn't sure how to make her stop apologizing for something that wasn't her fault.

Dee told her, "Really, Mitsuki, we're happy that you're doing well. I hope you won't be affected like that again; we all like you better this way!"

"I don't think it will, because it's never happened before. I think I was just sleepwalking," Mitsuki Rara said, her face only slightly worried this time.

"It was really alarming because it was a lot like when you became Ms. Rah," Kazuki admitted.

"I can't remember a thing that happened, and that alone proves that it wasn't my standard Ms. Rah trance," Mitsuki Rara said.

"You're sure?" Dee asked.

"Yes. I always remembered whatever happened while I was Ms. Rah. When I was Ms. Rah, I also had to be able to recognize people and things, and you were saying I wasn't doing that. I'd say that I was actually still sleepwalking then."

"I've heard that sleepwalkers can do many normal things while they sleepwalk, but sometimes they do them rather oddly," commented Dee. "So you were doing Ms. Rah things, which you had often done, but not quite doing them correctly?"

"I suppose so."

"So it was like making a peanut butter sandwich without peanut butter?" Dee asked.

"Yes, I guess so!" Mitsuki Rara laughed.

By now, they had arrived at the Sanada household. They were only surprised for a moment to see Slade working on their doorbell. He had taken off its cover and was now examining its internal wiring. The three greeted him, and he turned around. Everyone introduced themselves. Mitsuki Rara wanted to hurry inside to greet everyone and order things on her side of her room. Kazuki and Dee decided to remain outside and talk to Kent while he continued to work. Kent wasn't certain why they decided to do that, but he suspected Dee was a naturally curious person.

"Do dogs bother you?" she inquired of him.

"Not usually," Kent told her.

"Good, then you won't mind Kumu," Dee said happily.

"Uh, you should know that she bites," Kazuki put in reluctantly.

"Thank you," Kent replied calmly. He pulled out some of the wires to examine them.

Kazuki asked Kent, "Are you a student?"

"I'm a graduate student at the college near here," Kent explained as he reached for a tool. Dee handed it to him. "Thanks."

"I think Dad works there, doesn't he Kazuki?" Dee inquired.

"Yeah, Uncle Sanada's the professor of dimensional physics at the college."

"Really? Maybe I've met him sometime," Kent said, staring at the wiring. "But I can't quite remember him at the moment."

Kent shook his head at the recalcitrant doorbell and made an adjustment on something with the tool. "I took this part-time job with a repair company on my advisor's advice. I technically don't need the money, but Dr. Warai thought having a part-time job would be a good experience for me."

He looked once again at the exposed doorbell wiring and stated, "I can't find the problem yet. I'll need to go inside the house to look at the speakers where the doorbell speakers are. The problem may still be out here, but I'd better check there first. Since I don't want to have to uncover the wires out here again, I'll just put this sign over the hole."

The sign requested people not to touch the doorbell. It was written twice, in Japanese and English. The lower half of the sign was taken up by a picture of a humanoid being struck by lightning.

Dee regarded the sign with two curious human eyes and asked, "Why do you need that?"

Kent shook his head. "You have no idea how many people will fiddle with this if I don't put that sign up. It's surprising just who will tinker with a doorbell having no idea how it works."

Kazuki and Dee, after greeting Mrs. Nanjyoin and Akane, showed Kent where the doorbell made its noise inside the house. Here in the synthesis world, Dee was no longer the bioroid D, but a human. Her enthusiasm for even such a mundane task was endearing, if slightly baffling.

Kumu bounded up to the three people and stared at Kent for a moment. Dee laughed and stooped down to pet her. Kazuki kept his distance with a grimace. Kent regarded the dog for a moment, commented, "Nice dog," and set about exposing the doorbell speakers. Kumu accepted Dee's attention, but when Dee straightened up, Kumu briskly trotted behind Slade, raised her hackles, and growled softly. Slade ignored this.

"Kumu, he's a friend," Dee said sharply. Kumu continued to growl and Kent continued to dismantle the wall behind which was the wiring he needed to see. Kazuki gulped nervously, but his apprehensions were not realized. Kumu cautiously moved away from Kent. Dee laughed nervously, "I'm glad she," she paused, "accepts you. I'd better get her some lunch." She walked quickly, and Kumu followed her, pausing only a moment before Kent Slade was out of sight.

Mitsuki Sanada appeared. "Kazuki, stop bothering the repairman and start your homework," she ordered.

"Okay," he agreed nervously. "I'll just introduce you two first." He did so, and soon Kent was left totally alone: Kazuki went to his room to work on homework (or so we may hope) and Mitsuki Sanada went to work in the kitchen. Hours passed; the problem was more subtle than Kent had thought possible. He was in the midst of disassembling the second of the three doorbell speakers to check its internal wiring when he was disturbed.

"Ow!" was the surprising noise that so alarmed Kent. He rushed to the door, dreading what he knew he would find.

Dr. Sanada stood before the door, with one of his own tools in his hand. It remained in his hand for only a moment, as he dropped the tool so he could use that hand to cradle his other hand.

"Are you all right, sir?" Kent asked, knowing the answer.

"I think I got an electrical burn on my hand," gasped Dr. Sanada.

Akane rushed out of the house. "Ken!" she cried. A look of suspicion crossed her face. "What were you doing this time?"

"I told you this morning," Dr. Sanada returned in surprise, "that I was going to fix the doorbell as soon as I got back."

"Dear, didn't you hear me say this morning that I had called a repair company?" Akane exclaimed in irritation.

"I told you I'd have it fixed in no time, honey!" said a deflated Dr. Sanada.

"You never listen, do you?"

Kent took this opportunity to slip back into the house, and hopefully finish the repairs quickly. He didn't want any liability in a personal injury lawsuit.

Eventually, Dr. Sanada found his way to a small office, and sat down facing Mrs. Nanjyoin. "I'm afraid I can't stay much longer," Mrs. Nanjyoin apologized, "Before I go, I was hoping to bring up this subject again with you, Dr. Sanada." She passed him the design document she had shown Akane earlier. Mrs. Nanjyoin was certain the door was closed and the repairman was at the other end of the house before taking it out again.

Dr. Sanada looked at it, then exclaimed, "This again? Of course I remember it! This is one of the fuel regulators we designed for the Core Robots. This new world is amazing; first Zinv, and now this turns up too!"

Mrs. Nanjyoin paused a moment, then agreed cautiously. She added, "I hope your finger is well."

Dr. Sanada shrugged. "Thank you, Mrs. Nanjyoin, but in the battle for home maintenance, one must expect some wounds."

"Indeed," Mrs. Nanjyoin agreed. "Thank you for your help, Dr. Sanada. Farewell."

Dr. Sanada showed her to the door, bade her goodbye, then went back to his office to look at the spaceship proposals again. In the spacious kitchen, Yayoi, both Mituskis, and Akane had dinner well in hand.

Dr. Rara walked up the familiar path to Dr. Sanada's house. After roughly twenty-two eventful years, experienced twice through two different lifetimes, it was good to finally have a life where some things were exciting, and others were constant. He was a good friend of the Sanada family, and liked to drop in like this, especially to tease Dr. Sanada about something that had happened at their lab that day. Being an old friend, he might just use the spare key he had, but he liked to make Dr. Sanada guess, inaccurately, about who was at the door. He smiled and, as usual, he rang the doorbell.

"Augh!" bellowed Dr. Rara, his voice carrying down the hallway. The noise passed Kent, wiping his face of all previous emotions and leaving it etched with the acid of horror. Kent ran to the doorway.

Dr. Rara was cradling his index finger when Kent arrived. "Are you O.K., sir?" Kent asked in deep concern.

"Stupid Sanada, your stupid doorbell almost killed me!" grumbled Dr. Rara.

Everyone in the house had piled outside. "Oh, are you all right, Dad?" sprang Mitsuki Rara's sympathetic sentiments.

"We're so sorry, Dr. Rara," Kazuki said. "Our doorbell hasn't been working."

"Ayuko told me that, but it didn't electrocute her!" Dr. Rara peeved.

"This is most unfortunate, sir. I tried to put up a sign warning everyone," Kent began.

"What sign!" interrupted Dr. Rara.

Everyone looked near the doorway, and saw that the sign was face down on the ground and looked like a blank sheet of paper.

Dr. Sanada put one hand behind his head and said sheepishly, "Uh, I guess I must've knocked it down when I tried to fix it. Sorry about that."

"Sanada, you-" Dr. Rara ground out through gritted teeth and waved his fist.

Mitsuki Rara took his injured hand. "Let me put some ice on that, Dad."

Mitsuki Sanada handed her some ice she had foresightedly retrieved from the freezer.

Everyone followed the Mitsukis and Dr. Sanada into the house.


	6. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Analyzing the schematics for Dr. Sanada's Super-Ultra-Deluxe Parallel World Transporter took longer than Kent expected- an entire week, even with extensive use of computer simulations. Fortunately, Dr. Warai enjoyed the analysis because he could return to the basics of his engineering education. Kent wasn't unduly distressed by the complexities of the machine, for he had the circuit analysis skills that allowed his counterpart in the synthesis universe to be a successful doorbell repairman and all-around electrician. At the end of their analysis, they had been able to definitively prove that the device could not kill or even zap the passenger, and didn't produce any dangerous magnetic fields either. Neither Dr. Warai nor Kent had anything like the knowledge to determine whether the device actually could send someone to a parallel universe, and to that extent, they'd always have to trust in Dr. Sanada's knowledge.

Having verified that the device was safe, Kent formally accepted Dr. Sanada's offer, and emphasized his caveat; Kent would not go if Kent did not find it safe. Dr. Sanada seemed to understand the stipulation but be unconcerned. Kent hoped this was because Dr. Sanada was competent and honorable.

Kent informed his family about the job immediately after accepting it. He tried to impress upon them the risks, including that of his death, without unduly worrying them. They were sad that he might be on a long journey in the other world, if he ever managed to go, but trusted that he would be watched over and kept safe. Kent trusted that as well, but also felt an obligation to prepare for the worst, so he wrote his will.

The first day on the job actually had to be cut short because the good doctor had in fact forgotten another appointment, so he gave Kent a quick briefing instead. Dr. Sanada had already assembled the Super-Ultra-Deluxe Parallel World Transporter- to Kent just the parallel world transporter- inside his lab. He was convinced that it worked correctly, and that there was another world to transport things into, but he had not yet tested the device upon anything. He appeared insane, but he had realized that inanimate objects could not return to his world, even if they were found by the other him: he had been counting on a human subject who could actively seek out and request his counterpart's aid in returning.

Dr. Sanada caught Kent's disapproval, though Kent tried to hide it. "Based on what you said before," Dr. Sanada continued, "I've been working on inventing a portable transporter. It'd need a lot of power, relatively speaking. Too much for any easily portable battery, but not a vast amount of energy. I can run the one in my basement off of an ordinary wall socket, and I might or might not be able to make a portable device that could run off a wall socket as well."

Kent was relieved that Dr. Sanada had actually considered his words, and impressed at the thought that had already been invested. "That's quite a start, doctor. I really like the idea of carrying around my own transporter to get me back, but I don't know that we can count on a wall socket. They're different from nation to nation in our own world, and they might be even more different in the other world. That's assuming that the other world isn't at a Stone Age level of technology. From what I recall of the schematics, though, I'd say you're right; a battery doesn't have enough energy."

Dr. Sanada was fidgeting. "This is terribly rude of me, but I'm afraid I have to leave now if I'm to have any chance of making it on time."

"Of course, Dr. Sanada. I'll meet you tomorrow," Kent agreed, as they both bowed and left each other.

Dr. Sanada walked down the hallway, muttering to himself, "There was something else...Oh yes! I was going to call that idiot Rara and tell him I actually did manage to find someone to explore the parallel world!" A thought struck him. "Call...I'll call him." His incoherent mumbling followed him down the hall as a lucid stream of thought went forward in his mind.

By the time that Kent and Dr. Sanada met the next day, that stream had borne fruit. Mixed analogies were common in Dr. Sanada's mind, but his results were good.

"The solution to your problem is finally solved!" proclaimed Dr. Sanada as soon as he spotted Kent. "I was remembering how, when I first suspected the existence of another universe, I built various detectors, in order to search for changes in spacetime and for another universe possibly impinging on our own."

Kent was impressed until he remembered the doctor's earlier insane evidences for another world. Perhaps the detectors didn't work, but what if they did? "That must've been a lot of work, sir. How were you ever able to do it by yourself?"

Dr. Sanada grimaced as he thought of his collaborator in that and this current endeavour, Dr. Rara. Dr. Sanada grudgingly replied, "It wasn't all by myself. Dr. Rara and I worked on it. Enough about that bigmouth," he waved dismissively.

Enthusiasm waxed in Dr. Sanada's voice. "The point is that these instruments allow me to detect distortions in our universe and the affects of other universes upon our own. Yesterday I remembered I needed to make a phone call. Then I realized that just as I made a detector, I can make a distorter! A small, battery-powered device can produce enough energy to disturb the spacetime at a certain location in this universe! It is so amazing!"

Kent was catching on, to the idea and some of Dr. Sanada's enthusiasm. "Since you can detect that disturbance, it could act as a signal to you, correct, Dr. Sanada?"

"Yes! Exactly, Slade! In fact, my detector can determine from where in the parallel universe the signal originated from! So, once you sent the signal, I could use the Super-Ultra-Deluxe Parallel World Transporter to bring you back from the other world! In fact, we could even have a computer do that for me, in case I'm asleep or at the college or something."

Now Kent had lost the train of thought, or was it a tree, or a stream? "The transporter will still be in this world, though, Dr. Sanada. Sir, I don't understand how it could take me out of the parallel world while it's still here."

"How can it put you into the parallel world while it's still here?" Dr. Sanada asked in return. "The Super-Ultra-Deluxe Parallel World Transporter isn't yet capable of pulling you out of the parallel world, we'd have to add that capability to it, but theoretically it'd just be a reversal of the same process that put you into the parallel world."

There was now a slightly better opinion of Dr. Sanada in Kent's mind. This plan actually appeared possible and safe. On the other hand, Dr. Sanada might be certain there was another universe; Kent still was not. The doctor seemed to Kent far too eager to push humans into an unknown and dangerous place. Kent decided to humor him for the moment: "That sounds like a very good idea, doctor!" He did think it was a good idea, but wasn't really certain whether the doctor could execute any of the things that he claimed.

The doctor chuckled with pleasure. "Thank you, young man." He bowed slightly. "Let's get over to my lab now. It's at my house." Kent had assumed the lab was at the college, but was only slightly alarmed by this new information.

His house was a very good one, and Dr. Sanada accepted with pleasure Kent's compliment about it. Its huge size confirmed the rumors that Dr. Sanada was independently wealthy. The house was two stories tall, but had attractive architecture, paint, and interior decor that made it a comfortable home. Kent was slightly surprised that Dr. Sanada could stand to live alone in such a large house. That seemed the only point of oddity here; everything else was normal and relaxing. Dr. Sanada might be eccentric, but here he was another human being, in his home and castle. The good doctor himself was more relaxed in this place, and very hospitable. Then Dr. Sanada suggested they go to the laboratory, and something of his wild manner began to return.

"Oh, yes. It was very kind of you to show me around the house first," Kent thanked him. "Where is the lab? Is it in a building behind the house that I haven't seen yet?"

"It's in the basement," Dr. Sanada grinned for no apparent reason.

They entered Dr. Sanada's basement laboratory. Kent wondered why there wasn't anyone named Igor working with the levers.

Dr. Sanada had hurried ahead of him and turned to face the wall. Kent could see him excitedly speaking in a low voice to a picture in a freestanding frame. The frame was on the center of a shelf, and the shelf was astonishingly empty apart from the picture, especially in comparison to the rest of the lab. Kent couldn't quite hear what Dr. Sanada was saying, but his voice seemed fervent. As he drew closer, he saw that the picture was of a beautiful young woman holding a baby.

Kent felt a sudden dread. He thought to himself, "Oh no! Is he talking to a picture of his dead wife and child?" Kent had thought people only did that in movies, but he had also thought that basement labs like this only existed in movies. The schematics had been right, so Kent was not dealing with a mad scientist. He felt more keenly than ever that he might be dealing with a madman who happened to be a scientist.

Dr. Sanada looked over at Kent and beckoned to him, who had paused some distance away, reluctant to come close. "Ayuko, this is Kent Slade. Kent Slade, this is my wife Ayuko. Mitsuki, this is Kent Slade. Kent Slade, this is my daughter Mitsuki. Aren't they adorable?"

Kent uneasily agreed. Not that they weren't adorable, he was simply alarmed by Dr. Sanada.

Tearing himself away from the pictures, Dr. Sanada moved towards a large padded chair, surrounded by large pieces of equipment. "Here it is," said Dr. Sanada, "the Super-Ultra-Deluxe Parallel World Transporter. Pretty good for making it myself." He didn't seem to need Kent to agree, but Kent did- it really was quite an achievement. The chair part of it was evidently intended for a human passenger, and it did indeed have leather cushions. Disturbingly enough, it also had strong leather restraints, but Dr. Sanada assured Slade that they probably were unnecessary. It wasn't quite what Kent wanted to hear. He took a deep breath to steel himself against the madness around him, reminding himself that he just wanted to see if Dr. Sanada actually could safely send and return him to the parallel world, assuming it existed. If the doctor showed any further evidence of deep insanity, then he would go home immediately. With that settled in his mind, they both went over to a table on the far side of the room and began to talk about how to make the signaler apparatus.

Some months went by as they designed the signaling device. Kent stayed on despite Dr. Sanada's oddities, because he soon found that the doctor actually was in command of his scientific knowledge, if not his mind. He was more eccentric in the extreme than dangerous. Kent was responsible mostly for the power supply for the device and its user interface and programming, while Dr. Sanada handled its ability to alter spacetime and got it fabricated. By the end of the process, they had made a battery-powered device that could fit in the palm of a hand. It was programmable to send a signal out after a certain amount of time had passed, and a person could also press a button to make it signal immediately. Dr. Sanada had hooked his detectors up to a computer and the computer to the transporter, so that when the detectors received a signal, the computer would order the transporter to pick up whatever was at the source of the signal and deposit it in this world.

Dr. Sanada was really itching to send something to the parallel world, so they came up with a test that could be done once the signaler was complete. Kent programmed a cellphone with a camera so that it would take a picture after a minute had passed. The cellphone was strapped to a signaler programmed to return the cellphone in a minute and five seconds. The two men placed their remote robotic probe consisting of a cellphone and signaler onto the padded chair. Some weeks back, the restraints had been removed from the chair. Kent had never actually seen Dr. Sanada remove them. Kent was greatly relieved they were gone.

The cellphone probe needed no such restraints, and rested calmly upon the chair. Kent started the timer on both devices as Dr. Sanada prepared the machine. He had told Slade during the course of their work about how this second model of the transporter could choose the location to which it would transport things in the other world, although without any exploration of that other world, it was hard to say what that location would be like. Dr. Sanada pulled a massive lever, initiating the transport. A column of green glowing light that somehow seemed to be flowing upward engulfed the chair. The cylinder hazed, swirled, and arced with discharges for several seconds, and then abruptly disappeared. The chair was empty. Kent walked forward and tentatively touched the leather padding, which was cool. He moved back and checked his watch. Within tens of seconds, the timers would come due.

Other devices, Dr. Sanada's spacetime radar and other scientific instruments around the room, displayed new readings as they received the signal. The transporter's control computer which Dr. Sanada was working at immediately displayed the data the computer had collated from the detectors. The control program went through its interpolations of the data, determining that the signal was properly being sent to Dr. Sanada's laboratory, finding the point of origin of the signal from the other world, and calculating how to modify the transporter's energy output so as to create the dimensional disturbance in the other world and return the probe by the same method that it had been sent there. Within milliseconds, all the calculations and correlations were complete, and another cylinder of energy had appeared upon the chair, and this time Kent's eyes were quick enough to see within it the glowing particles of their probe appearing upon the chair. The cylinder disappeared, and the probe resumed its normal appearance.

Dr. Sanada began a strange, barking laughter, and a dance consisting of random jerking movements. Kent walked cautiously towards the probe, then asked, "Can we touch it?" The doctor shouted back, "Of course! We've done it! We've done it! The first ever transport! The first ever return transport! We've made history this day!"

Kent touched the probe, conscious of what it represented. The probe itself felt and looked no different than it had before, yet they knew it had been in an entirely different universe. He waited a few seconds, his mind boggling with the gravity of what he had been a part of. Then his own curiosity took hold, and he looked at the picture which the cellphone had returned to them.

The picture was of clear blue sky, with perhaps one faint cirrus cloud in the distance.

A feeling of stupidity began to overwhelm Kent, yet he couldn't help but laugh. Dr. Sanada looked at the picture and was overjoyed. "It took the picture! Ours are the first eyes to ever see another universe!" Kent was now in the throes of uncontrollable laughter. "I guess we shouldn't have sent the cellphone facing upwards, doctor," he said, breathing heavily between his deep laughter, "we should've realized it'd only take a picture of the sky!" Kent felt like an idiot for not realizing that, but it was funny, and he was also happy that the test had worked. Now Dr. Sanada understood why Kent was laughing, and began to laugh too. "No, no," Dr. Sanada laughed, "this is good. See, this proves that there's a human-breathable atmosphere there, since it looks just like our sky. We're smart!" He laughed some more.

When their hilarity ended, they decided that Dr. Sanada was right and this test had successfully proven not only safe two-way transport, but also that the alternate universe was safe for human life. They sent the probe back several times to the same location, remembering to orient the camera different ways, once even so it faced the ground. The composite of the shots indicated that they had sent their probe to a sidewalk. It was an ordinary street, surrounded by ordinary buildings. Dr. Sanada had selected as the transport site a street in another city that he knew well, and confirmed that the buildings were the same. Kent had worried about what people on that street in the parallel world would think when they saw a cellphone appear out of a column of glowing energy, but the cellphone shots seemed to indicate that the street was strangely empty of cars and people. Dr. Sanada said it wasn't a very busy street, but he had expected more people and cars. Kent suggested that the people had hidden when they saw the cellphone appear, but he couldn't explain what happened to the cars; surely a car wouldn't have time to hide?

The pictures had not indicated any danger at all, and they decided that the empty street was probably not due to any danger. Just in case, they'd send Kent to the secondary transport site, the location in the other universe corresponding to where in this universe Dr. Sanada's house stood. Kent would also visit a week after the probe for greater safety. Kent told his family of this, and tried in vain to prevent either they or him from crying. He really didn't believe there was much danger now, but there were always possibilities.

Kent had slowly gotten a backpack ready over the whole course of his duties with Dr. Sanada in preparation for this moment, and had gone over its contents with Dr. Sanada and Dr. (astronautical) several times. It contained cash, both Japanese yen and dollars of the United States, many maps, some food and clothes, a poncho, a blanket, a small towel, a small first aid kit, and a cellphone without a signaler attached. That was a lot of stuff to name, yet it had been carefully pared down for weight and practicality by Kent and the two doctors, so it was probably the best all-purpose equipment Kent could have on such a journey. Kent also took along the things he normally carried in his pockets, like his wallet with yet more cash, his keys to his apartment, his non-prescription sunglasses, spare contact lenses, and his passport.

Kent also carried two signalers. One he carried in his pocket, and the other he carried in a special harness and holster under his shirt. It'd be found if he were frisked, yet was not as obvious a location to search as his pocket. Both signalers could be activated at the press of a button, and also had timers that Kent could activate, deactivate, and modify the countdown. The pocket signaler would pull him back in 12 hours, and the holster one would pull him back in 12 hours and thirty minutes. Also in the holster were full schematics for both the signalers and the main Super-Ultra-Deluxe Parallel World Transporter. These were in case of some unforseen catastrophic failure requiring new ones to be built in the other universe.

Everything was now as comprehensible and safe as it would ever be. A quick inaudible prayer wended its way to heaven as Kent seated himself upon the padded chair.

"Goodbye, Dr. Sanada," Kent bade farewell.

"See you soon, Slade," Dr. Sanada cheerily called from the control console. "Be sure and tell me everything when you get back!" Kent nodded.

Dr. Sanada pulled the giant lever, the column of energy engulfed Kent, and he was moved into a parallel world.


	7. Interlude 3

Interlude 3

Kazuki was going through his morning routine as usual, finding various assorted people in his bedroom, being awakened by some combination of his alarm clock, cheerful greetings, and shouts of rage, and somehow surviving once again.

Everything was completely normal. Dr. Rara had come yesterday mostly for a social call, but he had received information while he was at the Sanada residence from the island laboratory where he and Dr. Sanada worked. For the last few weeks, they had been getting occasional faint readings on their instruments detecting odd interactions between parallel worlds, like the spacetime radar and dimension bend and distortion rate indicators. Just as Dr. Rara was eating dinner with the Sanadas, there was a sudden rush of activity, and then a sudden cessation of readings, forming a unique spike on their graphs. As the two doctors were nursing their doorbell-burnt fingers, the lab called Dr. Rara and Dr. Sanada to inform them of this. Both doctors had speculated on what it meant, from another parallel universe to the use of some sort of faster-than-light spaceship by alien intelligences, before they tired of that subject of conversation.

No one was very concerned at all about the news. The doctors saw it as an exciting new thing to pursue at work, but privately doubted it would be anything they could actually learn more about. Everyone had been somewhat concerned at the suggestion that it was another parallel universe, but when Kazuki assured them he had no visions, it became hard to think that this other world could impact them in any way.

Akane, the wife of Dr. Ken Sanada, was really quite pleased that everything was normal, including the doorbell now that Mr. Slade had finally found the problem and fixed it. Indeed, she wished everything would continue being normal, except perhaps in respect of some of Ken's habits. As Kazuki was being awakened, Akane was expressing her devotion to her husband.

"Ken, you need to bathe right now!" Akane demanded. "The water is ready, at exactly the right temperature."

Dr. Sanada turned bleary eyes upon her. "A bath in the morning? Honey, you know hot water always makes me sleepy. I'll take a bath in the evening."

"Perhaps if you actually did take baths in the evening, or indeed at any time at all, everything would be fine." Akane was not letting him do this to himself.

"Surely I can wait a few more hours until this evening?" Dr. Sanada yawned.

She frowned yet more. "As your wife, it is my duty to tell you that absolutely no one wants to be around you when you smell like that."

Dr. Sanada shuffled towards the bath.

Akane was always frustrated by her husband's intransigence over basic hygiene. She made an effort to cheer herself up by counting her blessings. She was about to count her United Nations medical benefits before recalling that she no longer had them. Being a housewife was such a new experience for her. In one universe she had been a United Nations employee, tasked with inspecting the Earth Defense Force, and in another she had an administrative job connected to the research of both Dr. Sanada and Dr. Rara. Now she was responsible for the massive home of Dr. Sanada. At least she had a cadre of daughters and friends who did nearly all of the cooking for her.

Dr. Sanada was still muttering about the fact that he needed something to wake him up, not a hot bath to put him to sleep.

"I could make you some coffee, Dad," Dee offered, passing him outside the bathroom. She had already been evicted from Kazuki's room.

At that moment, Dee's perkiness this early in the morning was suddenly and newly annoying to Dr. Sanada. He groaned in agony at his condition, and slowly shuffled into the bathroom.

Somehow, they all managed to assemble for breakfast around the huge table in the dining room. Yayoi felt sorry for Kazuki sometimes, having to eat three breakfasts: the breakfast that Mitsuki Rara made, the one that Mitsuki Sanada made, and the one that she herself made. If only Kazuki would do the sensible thing and pick just one to eat. She was certain hers had enough virtue to win him over. As usual, he managed to eat all three. That couldn't be healthy.

Some time later, everyone at the house who was going to school entered the grounds of the Nanjyoin Private Academy.

Dee went to her classroom, several grades below Kazuki. Mitsuki Sanada was one grade older than Kazuki, and they went their different ways. Yayoi was older than either of them, and she went to the teacher's lounge. She had her lesson for her class ready, and their papers from last week's test graded. When the time came, she walked into her classroom, radiant and orderly, giving a proper and encouraging smile to all the class, and especially to her student Kazuki Yotsuga. Today he managed a sheepish grin in return as his friends shot daggers of jealousy from their eyes into his back.

It was flattering to get such attention from a pretty woman like Yayoi, but it was uncomfortable, too. She was always watching Kazuki, so he could never use his personal digital assistant on the sly like he could in other classes. It was also uncomfortable having your teacher as a frequent guest at your home, especially when your grades were poor. Perhaps most uncomfortable was the jealousy of the other guys in the class.

Today, Yayoi announced: "Today, the class will be writing an essay about ambitions and dreams that you have had, and whether or not they were fulfilled. I will call on someone to read their completed essay in thirty-five minutes."

Kazuki began to panic. She was almost certainly targeting him with that essay. Of course, he always seemed to be the focus of attention in her class for some reason or another.

Whether Kazuki was being paranoid or not, Yayoi decided to call upon Kazuki. He really needed more practice speaking in front of large groups, and it would help him gain confidence. She was always very formal in class: "Mr. Yotsuga, please read your essay to the class."

Kazuki didn't bother to sigh. She was only doing her duty, and she surely didn't mean to humiliate him in front of the class. He began to read:

"The dream which became a reality for me almost became just a dream again. It was saved at the last moment. My dream was to become the pilot of a giant robot..."

At times, Kazuki worried that giant robots were the only thing he could ever write about. He didn't ever seem to tire of writing about them, never wearied of piloting them himself, and he never grew bored when he watched them as they sat silent in their hangars. It was an appreciation bordering on love that he shared mostly in his writing. Kazuki worried that his mind was one-track, but this essay had actually been turning out well, including not only robots but also more human matters.

He was somewhat nervous- these, his classmates and everyone at school, were the people who always had thought him weird for seeing the giant robots. His friends hadn't laughed at him, but they had been greatly concerned for him, thinking him insane. He thought he was insane just because he could see the robots, and thought he would go totally mad from everyone laughing behind his back. In this synthesis universe, none of that had happened, and if anyone did remember, they kept it to themselves, but Kazuki certainly didn't want to remind them, fearing a reawakening of contempt and loss of what social prestige he had. Nevertheless, this was his essay about something important to him, and his concentration on the subject gave his voice strength.

"...I loved the idea of giant robots ever since I first saw them. They're fascinating to watch, even when completely still. They have so much power, even when their systems are closed down and they have no pilots. When they're still, I can name their parts, reflect on how each is integrated into the whole..."

Strange looks, of half-remembrances and deja vu, stole over the faces of his classmates. Hadn't there been a time when he was some sort of outcast for seeing things like that? Things that didn't exist were what he had specialized in once. Had he seen giants? Or was it fights that hadn't happened? No, wait, now they remembered: but wait! That hadn't actually happened! How could they be remembering a whole lifetime that never happened!

"...when I climbed in, I found that my mind was in unison with the robot, responding to my wishes, becoming my hands and feet. Whatever I thought, it did..."

Now the class was becoming even more confused. They were beginning to remember yet another lifetime, in which those robots actually had existed. Their memories were now beginning to contradict each other, for they also remembered their other lifetimes, in the other world where robots never existed and they had laughed at Kazuki, and this synthesis world where there were no robots and they had never laughed at him. Each lifetime seemed so real and yet contradicted the other in so many ways: were they becoming crazy?

"...I had to give up that dream, in order to help not only my friends, but also complete strangers, people who'd never know my name or thank me, people who might even forget me entirely. I might have died, right there, and only a few people would ever mourn me. The worst part would be that if I had succeeded, my sacrifice would never have occurred. The world where I had died would be erased, and so my death and my entire life would be erased forever. My friends needed me, though, and it was what we wanted to do, to make them happy. I made the sacrifice, and now I'm here, and the thing I sacrificed was given back to me."

This moment he was describing, though the universe it took place in had now been combined into this universe, was clearly memorable to Yayoi. She could still recall the flashes of light and shocks in the distance as the two parallel worlds collided. Kazuki had the opportunity to make a new world, and it was the only way to save the lives of everyone in both worlds, but he could very easily have died. That had been the only test that ever mattered, and he had passed it, and he had been given a whole new life, a happy one, complete with a giant robot, and family and friends.

The entire room was silent.

Yayoi smiled at Kazuki. "Well done, Mr. Yotsuga."

Kazuki smiled back confidently and gratefully. "Thank you, ma'am."


	8. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Kent Slade was standing upon the ground floor of Dr. Sanada's house. They had decided not to send him into Dr. Sanada's basement in the other world in case the basement didn't exist in the other world. Kent turned about him and called out to Dr. Sanada. No one seemed to have noticed his presence, and no one seemed to be home. Dr. Sanada had seen him off in his original world, and in the synthesis world, his transport had been registered as an abnormal spike in the readings, but here Kent's presence was unremarked.

Kent proceeded to explore the house, calling Dr. Sanada's name every once in a while. The house looked almost exactly like Dr. Sanada's. Little details like the pantry full of the doctor's favorite brand of ramen noodles indicated that in this parallel world, the doctor lived in this same location and in this same house; the minor differences must be what made this universe distinct from the other. Most of the minor differences were things like even more dust in some of the rooms; Dr. Sanada lived here, but he didn't seem to be home very often.

Looking in the basement, it looked almost exactly the same, except for several key components. The Super Ultra-Deluxe Parallel World Transporter was incomplete. It looked like it was a partially constructed first model of the transporter, and judging from the dust and spider webs, it had been abandoned for many years. Kent could not imagine what would compel Dr. Sanada to abandon his beloved research, nor why the picture of his beloved wife and child was totally absent. He had seen no reference to either in the entire house.

After checking the time he had remaining in this world, still at least eleven and a half hours, Kent replaced his signaler in his pocket. He drummed his fingers on a counter top, then decided against waiting for Dr. Sanada or even leaving a note. One reason was that he didn't want to create some sort of reality-destroying chain of cause and effect like he had read about in science fiction. The other reason was that he didn't know whether he could trust whoever lived here. The house proved it was Dr. Sanada, but he had no idea whether this world's Dr. Sanada was good or evil, and he'd rather not inform an evil Dr. Sanada of his presence here. Perhaps this was more science fiction paranoia, but he thought some precautions should be taken. Anywhere in this alternate world, he figured the least said about his point of origin, the better. He didn't want to be considered insane.

Kent therefore decided to set out and explore the city. It was a nice place to live. Dr. Sanada's house was in a suburban area, and Kent's apartment was in a more urban area, but both were close to the college. As he slipped on his sunglasses, Kent decided to head in the general direction of the college. He didn't have any particular desire to meet himself, if that was possible, but it seemed as good a destination as any.

Leaves rustled slightly along the sidewalk, directly in front of him. Birds chirped. Kent found it odd for some reason, then realized what was wrong. There were no noises of people. No television sets were left on in houses, no cars zoomed past him on the street. No one else was out walking, no one was working or playing in their yards. This was constant even as he entered the urban area, where there should've been many cars zooming past, pedestrians on their way to work or a restaurant, buildings with lights and humming computers and businesspeople.

After passing several tall buildings, Kent decided to try the main door of one. It was locked. He peered into its large glass windows. No one was waiting at the reception desk, and the lights were all turned off. The building was clearly as empty as the streets. Kent shivered, not realizing that he had done so.

Kent had still been headed towards the college, but now began to consider things as he walked onwards. Before, this world's loneliness had bored and mildly disturbed him. Now he wondered if there were some sort of danger that had made these people evacuate. Was there a tsunami or a typhoon coming? Were people in this universe able to anticipate major earthquakes and leave ahead of them? These thoughts made him pull out his pocket signaler in case a quick getaway were required.

With a deep breath, he forced calm into himself. The information he had contradicted those scenarios. The probe had returned scenes very similar to what he was seeing here: streets devoid of people and cars. Yet those images were captured a week ago in a different city. He couldn't think of any natural disaster that would take a week to cover the distance between the two cities. Perhaps both cities were always deserted; maybe there had been nuclear war, the cities were too radiated to live in, and he was now contaminated. He stopped, both to rest and to consider things further. Perhaps he ought to leave now. He couldn't seem to find out anything here anyways. There was no one to ask what had happened. Kent chuckled slightly at that. Probably he wasn't contaminated in any way. Probably he should return to the laboratory. He took a few paces as a thought struck him; perhaps next time he ought to teleport into a different city in the parallel world. As he reached for the button, Kent decided he'd have to tell Dr. Sanada that idea.

There was a whistling sound for a short period of time, and a missile which many seconds ago missed its target now struck a building behind Kent. The edifice shivered for a fraction of a second, its glass windows trembling and shattering, shards of the glass flying forward through the air. The missile exploded a nanosecond after impact, and there was a keening as the building's steel structural elements were strained beyond their tolerances, a roar as the masonry of the top story where it hit cracked and was flung loose, following the paths of the glass shards, which had not yet met the ground. The glass shards finally dropped to the street, and the concrete, slowed only by air resistance, followed after. The largest chunk of debris, which was nearly seven feet wide and had once been most of the corner of the highrise, hit some sixteen feet in front of Kent, its kinetic energy meeting a weak point in the street. Burrowing into the hollow subway tunnel underneath, the projectile embedded itself into the rails of the subway track and ceased its forward motion. Even as it ceased, the street near the impact point crumbled into the new hole, until a crater fifteen feet in diameter had been created.

Nearly at the same time, a rock the size of a baby's fist or a golf ball struck the back of Kent's head at an acute angle. Kent's consciousness was immediately cut off, his finger centimeters from the button. His body, uncontrolled, pitched forward, and his hand released the signaler. It bounced off the ground, hovered for a moment, and was tagged by the edge of five hundred pounds of rubble. The top half of it, which contained most of its working components, was crushed and buried beneath the rubble. The signaler from Kent's pocket gave out a few sparks as its inductors were rapidly discharged, and gave up its ghost.

Another piece of flying rubble drew near Kent's side as he fell. It sliced his skin, ripped his shirt, and squarely hit the signaler in the holster Kent wore under his shirt. There was a rip as the leather ripped, inaudible amidst all the other noises had Kent even been conscious to hear it. The rock transferred to the signaler and the schematics with it a great deal of its momentum, and all of them flew united towards the crater in the street. The schematics, in transit, were struck by intensely hot detritus from the missile's explosives, and immediately caught fire. By the time the rock, the signaler from the holster, and the schematics landed inside the crater as one projectile, the schematics were blackened beyond recognition. The signaler from the holster responded to the compressive forces exerted upon it by breaking many components inside it and cracking its display. The combined projectile had fallen into seepage from the subway station, and the remaining components were short-circuited by the water. The schematics were extinguished, now nothing more than soggy ashes.

After this incredible display of unintentional violence, the immediate area was deathly quiet. Farther off could be heard the reports of large-caliber guns, and the whoosh and whistle of missile launches. Fine particles settled and coated Kent's mouth and nostrils and sunglasses. The off-putting scent of high explosives hung in the air. Ten minutes passed as Kent lay insensible upon the pavement. Blood was welling from the cut on the back of his head and the cut on his side, but it eventually clotted.

Inchoate groans of incomprehensible pain were Kent's first sounds to escape his lips when the ten minutes had expired. He attempted to raise his head but its hurt before it had moved an inch made him lie where he was. The ache died down, and he managed to raise his head. He stared at the signaler from his pocket, buried underneath the rubble. He could clearly see its shape though only half of it was exposed. No emotional reaction to this was forthcoming. Kent stood up and saw the new-formed pit only a foot before him, yet this newly generated abyss held no terror for him. Indeed, he took a lurching step towards it, his balance precarious though he knew it not. He stood there for ten seconds, unendurable had anyone with pity been there to see him so close to falling. Kent then stepped back, his glassy eyes not noting the second ruined signaler, the one from his holster, in the pit before him.

Haltingly, Kent turned away, and moved without direction, his mouth speaking nonsense. He wandered he knew not where and knew not how far, nor even that he was wandering.

Slowly, Kent's mind returned to him. When at last it was his own, he tried to work out where he was, but his memory had a blank. He had been peering into the window of a skyscraper, and saw no one at the reception desk. The next thing he remembered, he was here, in a totally different part of the city. From his short-term memory loss, he deduced he had a concussion. He checked his watch, and was surprised to see that only twenty minutes had elapsed since he had looked in that skyscraper. He had little medical knowledge, but he thought it would've taken longer to regain the full use of his mind after a concussion.

There were far-off noises, and Kent wasn't really sure what they were. He didn't want to learn about them. Kent reached for his pocket signaler, but it was gone. He reached for the one in his holster, and felt only a strange hole in his shirt and the scraped and wounded skin on his side. The signaler and much of the holster was gone. He suddenly had a vivid, undubitable memory of one signaler, sticking halfway out of the rubble but clearly smashed beyond use or repair. Where was the other signaler? Where had the one in the rubble been? Kent could not recall what route had taken him to this place. He felt horrified as he confirmed that not even the schematics were left to him.

He moved quickly, to make some effort to trace his forgotten steps. Kent raced to the next intersection, hoping against his sober judgement that he was going the right way. He stopped before he got there. Until his memories returned, he would have no idea where the signaler was. Even if they returned, the other signaler was in all probability just as ruined as the buried one. He also had to face the possibility that his memory might never return. At least he could remember everything else, and his brain seemed otherwise unharmed.

There was a staccato noise, and a stentorian crash as though something huge and heavy had fallen to the ground. The noise seemed disturbingly close, but a ringing in his ears that diluted sound prevented him from determining its direction. He was among the relatively few and very fortunate people who had never heard a shot fired in anger. Nevertheless, Kent correctly determined that what he had heard was a report of gunfire. It sounded like a titanic machine gun. The human mind's amazing speed informed him within seconds that there was a war occurring, which explained why two cities would both be emptied one week after the other. Clearly armies were moving about: the week before they had been battling in that city, and now they were here. The far-off and nearby noises must be those of battle. Whatever had knocked him out had probably been a part of the first volley gone off-target.

For the moment, he needed to find some sort of shelter and wait out the battle. He would begin the search after the battle whether or not his memories returned.

Kent reached the intersection he had headed for, now looking for shelter. What he saw instead was a massive white humanoid robot, as tall as a large building, slumped on the ground.


	9. Interlude 4

Interlude 4

Kazuki slowly opened his eyes as his alarm clock blared at him. Somehow, his sleep-addled brain knew it needed to hit the snooze bar. What could possibly accomplish such a task? Was there anything that could? The appendage called an arm could, possibly, if it only had the energy for it. Kazuki slowly moved his arm out towards the snooze bar, and hit it, and rested briefly in the blissful silence. Then he began to sit up on his futon, or sleeping mat.

He seemed strangely fortunate this morning. He appeared to be alone in his room. Having gotten up when the alarm called him, he doubted Mitsuki Sanada was going to use physical force to awaken him. Maybe things ought to be like this every morning.

Kumu the dog had been waiting for this opportunity, when Kazuki Yotsuga would finally be within her reach and beyond the help of his friends. She arose from the far corner of his futon. She had been waiting for this moment all morning. The dog bounded over Kazuki's legs, causing him to yelp in surprise. Kumu would see that he did more than that before she was through. Now the human's face was before her, and his neck was vulnerable. His carotid arteries were in the perfect position for a strike. With the full momentum she had gathered in her run across the futon, Kumu leapt, readying her fangs, striking the precise area that she targeted, and fiercely ripped into the flesh of Kazuki Yotsuga.

A cry of primal pain erupted from Kazuki Yotsuga's throat. Kumu released her death grip. Kazuki rubbed his forehead where Kumu had bitten him. In an astonishing demonstration that the speed of light can be exceeded, the two Mitsukis, Dee, and Yayoi, had all crossed the house and appeared in at the door of Kazuki's room. The ladies wasted no time in spilling into the room and asking what was wrong.

"Kumu bit me again!" Kazuki sighed in resignation.

"Bad Kumu!" Dee reprimanded her dog. She removed the dog from the room by the scruff of her neck.

Kumu was victorious. Her strike had gone exactly as she hoped! Now that man Yotsuga knew the price of angering her! Next time, she would strike at his foot again: no one would expect that. Dee proceeded to sternly discipline her beloved dog.

"Oh, Kazuki, does it hurt?" Mitsuki Rara asked with deep sympathy.

"It doesn't look too bad," Yayoi decided, examining his forehead from an oddly close range. Kazuki was still sitting on the floor on his futon.

"But you're bleeding terribly!" Mitsuki Rara expressed horror. As a head wound, it was indeed more effusive in that fashion. "I'll make sure it doesn't get in your eyes." She knelt beside him and wiped blood off his forehead.

"Um, thanks, I think I'll be fine-" Kazuki began to say, then made a noise of pure pain.

Mitsuki Sanada unrelentingly swabbed the wound with disinfectant. "I may not be a doctor, but I think you're going to live, so stop whining."

Kazuki decided that it was better to have his morning routine as usual than to have Kumu deliver him this fate. What kind of dog bit someone she knew? What had Kazuki ever done to Kumu? Everyone there knew the answer to those questions, but no one, not even Dee, had any idea how to get Kumu to stop biting him.

Somehow, this wound was too large for a single adhesive bandage, so Kazuki found himself with three adorning his pate before Mitsuki Sanada, Mitsuki Rara, and Yayoi left the room. Dee came in and apologized for Kumu.

"That's okay, Dee. It's not your fault," Kazuki reassured her. They both chuckled slightly, knowing what brought Kumu to this pass.

"She's usually so happy here, I just wish she could be friends with you," Dee frowned in sadness.

"Maybe it'll happen someday," Kazuki suggested.

"I brought you this," Dee smiled radiantly, placing a fourth bandage upon his head. Kazuki thanked her, and she left him so he could finally get ready for the morning. Later, he headed downstairs, as ready as he ever could be.

Here at the table were three breakfasts once again for Kazuki. Though he was surrounded by good cooks, he rarely got to really appreciate their cooking, because he had to arrive at school on time after breakfast. He was therefore always forced to rush and eat all three breakfasts really fast.

Somehow, once again, he managed to stuff all of that delicious food into his craw, and still make it out the door on time. Before he left, he of course picked up three boxed lunches. One was made by Yayoi, another by Mitsuki Sanada, and another by Mitsuki Rara, just as the breakfasts were made by them. They regularly made them for him, which was very kind of them. It was so unfortunate that his unruly classmates cast a shadow upon such generosity. Kazuki continued out the door towards the school.

Their whole group arrived at school safely, and with plenty of time. Everyone went their different ways. The clouds outside Kazuki's classroom commenced a stately, dogged march. The sun deliberately strode to its midday site.

The most dreaded part of Kazuki's school day was growing closer. Lunchtime was still very uncomfortable for him in the synthesis world. For some reason, the entire male population of the school still competed to buy his three lunches. What can be said? They really wanted to buy a lunch that an attractive woman had made. That was the only possible explanation- the lunches were good, indeed very good, but not good enough to cause a regular storming of Kazuki's desk every day at lunch time by at least 20 classmates.

For some reason, this had not been changed in the synthesis world, and Kazuki had no idea why. He couldn't imagine that he had voluntarily left this uncomfortable situation intact, since usually it led to him not getting to eat any lunch at all. He didn't want to think that Mitsuki Sanada had kept it in place. In any case, he didn't have very clear ideas of exactly how this synthesis world came to be as it was. Perhaps it was nobody's fault that his lunches were still the most valuable property on campus. Perhaps it was the fault of all of those guys who battled for the lunches.

This time, he had a plan. It was now one minute before lunchtime. Several girls had disgusted looks on their faces, knowing the sordid ritual was about to begin. Kazuki's friends Masanari Shiozaki and Toshihiko Izawa, who sat behind him, had huge grins on their faces as they made new plans to try to get at least one of Kazuki's lunches. They and everyone else knew that their lucky friend had lunches made for him by the most popular girl in the school, Mitsuki Sanada, Kazuki's cousin. Surely this time Kazuki would share with them the lunches. Their mouths began to salivate, and Kazuki shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

The lesson was finished, and it was now lunchtime. Everyone got up, and the males all began to move towards Kazuki. Kazuki looked at the clock. In about two more minutes, the "United Team Alliance"- a group of guys from each of the school's athletic teams united by infatuation with Mitsuki Sanada- would arrive to join the feeding frenzy for his lunches. They probably could arrive in one minute if they didn't change into their respective sport uniforms first, but they insisted upon wearing the uniforms when they attempted to court Mitsuki Sanada. No one ever dared to ask them how begging for a lunch she had made was courting her.

Everything was proceeding as usual, and Kazuki knew his plan would work. He pulled out his three lunches, as though he had no idea that a mass of people were about to beg for them. When he looked up, as he expected, they had formed a nearly solid wall encircling his desk. One of them said, "Kazuki, sell your lunch to me! I'll give you-" He was waving the largest denomination of currency that had yet been offered for his lunch, but was cut off by another who offered less money but added some of his lunch into the deal. This was the signal for a massive bidding war, with every offer being shouted at the same time as ten others.

Kazuki checked around the crowd. The United Team Alliance had now shown up, and injected themselves into the mess. They didn't always have more money than the other competitors, but usually had more spirit. Now there was a critical mass of contenders and passion, which meant that the guys were now more concerned with degrading the others as unworthy to consume the lunch, and no longer had their eyes upon Kazuki.

He managed to get out of the press of the crowd, somehow, like he always did. Kazuki knew that he could escape the mob, but never could hope to extract the lunches from under the eyes of the crowd. Fortunately, that was not what his plan called for. He ran for a hiding spot on campus that he had already selected- outdoors, behind a long, low building. Now he pulled out of his bag where he had hidden them the three lunches that had been made for him, and happily began to eat. As he took the first few bites, he realized that, since none of the three ladies was present, he was finally free to pick and choose the best parts of the excellent cooking from each lunch. Kazuki laughed with glee.

Mitsuki Sanada poked her head inside of Kazuki's classroom, then quickly moved her head out again. She couldn't recall why, when they made this world, they hadn't done something about those greedy guys. It was rather embarrassing to have them for a fan club, but she had no choice in the matter; they seemed to follow her around no matter how much she discouraged them. That was aside from her main purpose, though: where was Kazuki? Was he in the middle of that press? She risked another, much longer look, and saw that he was not. He'd run away-that was so like him. Where would he be now? That Kazuki was always making more trouble for her; now she had to look all over the school for him instead of just on this floor. All she had wanted to do was to say hello, and perhaps eat lunch with him. Perhaps she wouldn't have time for that anyway, though, since she was so busy and Kazuki was always such a bother. She walked away and began her search. Behind her, the mad competition continued. Not one contestant was aware that their idol had only been six feet away from them.

When first Kazuki had conceived of this plan, he had considered simply leaving behind empty boxes in the classroom, but then he reconsidered. He was Mitsuki Sanada's cousin, but he wasn't sure even that could save him from the wrath of a horde of deceived males. So he had instead emptied containers of cheap ramen noodles into lunch boxes he had disguised to look just like the ones that the ladies made for him. The only things he regretted would be that he wouldn't get to eat the noodles himself, and that Mitsuki's deserved reparation for good cooking might suffer when the guys found that today's lunches were ramen noodles randomly strewn about the lunch box.

Still, he hadn't many choices, and for now, it was a pleasure just to be free at last to eat, and the triumph of his plan was an excellent seasoning. Everything had gone perfectly.

A sudden, totally unpredicted storm blew up just then, and a torrential rain began to follow. A soaked Kazuki and three soggy lunches ran for a more sheltered hiding spot.


	10. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Kent looked at what he was seeing, trying to integrate it into his mental picture of how the world worked. He was seeing a massive, white robot, slumped to the ground. Could these be what were doing the fighting?

The battle seemed to still be in the distance, but he wanted some shelter. There was plenty of rubble around the white robot, and so he decided to hide in that debris. He surmounted some of it, looking for a good spot.

From this height, he could now see that a woman lay slumped upon some metal plates that extruded from the chest of the giant robot. Behind the plates was a cavity with a chair, doubtless the cockpit of the vehicle. The woman's long silver hair contrasted with the stark red blood on her head. Kent nervously moved towards her and felt for a pulse in the arteries of her neck. She was still alive.

He didn't want to be mistaken for a combatant, which she obviously was judging from her jumpsuit. Still, he felt he had to help her. Surely no one would mistake him for being a combatant if he was giving medical care? He was uneasy, but got out his first aid kit. He had little medical knowledge, and didn't want to risk increasing her injuries by moving her, so he found the cut on her head and bandaged it with a long bandage from the kit. This woman, he thought, was clearly the pilot of this device. She had evidently attempted to leave the ruined robot after it crashed, but she must've collapsed her after taking only a few steps.

As he bandaged her, without realizing it, his arm brushed against a red orb on the armrest of the chair. It glowed and whined slightly. A device which had been extruding itself from the cockpit noticed this and retracted.

* * *

Far away, in the control room of the Earth Defense Force, an officer noted this. She gave Commander Ken Sanada an update on the status of downed Core Robot Unit 1. "Sir, life sympathy was briefly detected in Unit 1! That made the core eject cancel!"

Commander Sanada leaned forward in his seat.

* * *

Kent wondered what his duty towards the injured woman was now. He presumed that her colleagues would come along eventually to help her and get her proper medical care. Doubtless they were prevented from doing so now by the enemy. Perhaps he ought to leave her.

What would he do without either signaler or the schematics?

There was a percussive sound nearby, and Kent decided it was probably the footsteps of a similar combat robot. He risked moving the woman inside the cockpit, and attempted to dash for cover nearby, to avoid drawing fire near the invalid's location. Kent saw that he was too late, that the other robot was rounding the corner, its arm pointed at him. He had only one option left; he ducked into the cockpit. He sat in the chair, and placed his arms upon the armrests, and his hands on two red orbs located exactly where one's hands would go.

There was a whine which reminded Kent of electrical components charging, and the orbs glowed yellow. At the same time, the plates began to fold in toward the robot. Kent realized he had somehow activated the hatch, and regretted it. At this point, though, hiding was more important than not appearing to be a combatant. He gasped as the closed hatch appeared to turn transparent. He was actually seeing a display of what the robot saw.

The other robot was bipedal and bulky, painted green. Kent noted a logo on it. The logo consisted of two bright red Rs, placed back to back so one faced forwards and the other backwards. The arm that had been pointed at him earlier did not terminate in a hand, but instead in the multiple barrels of a machine gun. The chest had a massive funnel set upon it, with the small end facing outward. Kent realized it was probably some sort of cannon. Both the machine gun and cannon were pointed at Kent, or rather at the robot Kent was in, covering him. It seemed confused. Pilots probably never left their robots and darted back in again as he had done. The other robot's pilot justifiably suspected a trap. If only Kent had set one. He felt more like he was in a trap himself. If the other robot was an enemy to this one, it would destroy or capture this robot as soon as it realized it was helpless.

* * *

Far away, in a massive control room of the RaRa Army, a war room different but similar to that of the Earth Defense Force, President Hiroshi Rara was receiving an update on the battle.

"The white robot's pilot cannot be seen, sir. She must've returned to the cockpit, since the hatch has closed. The robot looks ruined, but we're taking no chances."

President Rara leaned forward. His wife watched the scene with heightened interest.

* * *

At the same time, in the Earth Defense Force war room, Cmdr. Sanada was receiving further news. "Sir, Unit 1 now has two lifeforms in its cockpit! Confirmed Life Sympathy reading!"

United Nations Inspector Akane Yamano leaned forward from a standing position and placed her hands on the console before her for support. "That last reading indicated Pilot Schwael's Life Sympathy had fallen to 0!"

"Now showing 65 Life Sympathy!" another voice confirmed.

"No refugees are missing from the shelters," another person confirmed.

Inspector Yamano leaned back stiffly. "Then it's been captured."

"Can we contact Unit 1?" Cmdr. Sanada asked.

"Negative, communication system damaged," reported the communications officer.

Cmdr. Sanada was amazed. He had held off surrendering because he felt sure that once Unit 1 was disabled, it would be ignored, and he thought the other two Core Units could still win the battle. Unit 1 suddenly returning to the fight on the enemy side was totally unexpected.

* * *

The green robot fired upon the ground near Core Unit 1. Kent recognized it as a feint, and it confirmed for him that the robot facing him was an enemy to the robot he was inside. It must've thought he was playing dead and was hoping to rattle him out of whatever trap he was springing. Kent had no traps and no tricks; he seriously wanted to leave. It was rather astonishing, therefore, to see and feel that his robot was in motion, leaving the area. There was a whish and a flash of light as a missile was launched from the funnel chest of the green robot, and Kent ran farther. It seemed his thoughts were somehow controlling the robot.

His robot shook as the homing missile detonated near him.

* * *

Pres. Rara's titanic screen, which showed him the battle, displayed the overlaid text "Indirect Hit."

"Argh!" grunted Pres. Rara. "Ms. Rah, order our pilot to destroy that white robot as fast as possible!" Ms. Rah forwarded the orders.

* * *

Kent knew he was in a fight now, and there was only way out of it: victory. He shifted his focus from dodging to attacking. He charged the green robot, somehow avoiding the bursts from its machine gun, and closed to grappling range. Unit 1's fully humanoid arms and hands clasped and wrenched the enemy's machine gun arm behind its back, and Unit 1 remained behind its back as well to avoid the missile launcher.

* * *

"We're in luck," commented Cmdr. Sanada. "It hasn't been captured."

"I agree," breathed Inspector Yamano. The surprise that showed plainly on her face existed in Cmdr. Sanada's mind as well. 65 was a fairly good score for a top pilot, but whoever had boarded their robot and begun to fight their enemies? This required investigation, but first the battle had to be won.

"Can anyone back up Unit 1?" he required rhetorically. His staff was keeping him updated on all the giant robots, but he had to make sure.

"No sir," came the response, "Units 2 and 3 are both engaged with other enemies."

Cmdr. Sanada sighed. Giant robots were the only military units actually used in this war by either side, and all of his giant robots were in fights elsewhere on the battlefield. Unit 1's mysterious helper was on her own.

* * *

The commander had, you see, no idea that Unit 1's pilot was actually a young man. This young man was on his own, and found himself raised off the ground as the enemy robot leaned forward, catapulting Unit 1 over its head and onto the ground before the green robot. Kent was perturbed, but thought fast enough to use the machine gun arm still in his grasp to pull the green robot to the ground beside him. It immediately pushed itself up, but Kent managed to land a punch in a region that could've been its head before struggling to his feet himself.

Now he had a plan. The green robot's right arm was a three-fingered gripper, and relatively less dangerous than the machine gun or missile launcher. That meant that its right side was its weakest. He acted as though he were about to charge the enemy's left as he had before. It had anticipated that, planning to hit him with machine gun and missile. The machine gun would've struck him perfectly if he were doing that, but he had already begun to run to the right. The well-trained pilot carried through with her intention to launch a missile at Unit 1, and since it was a homing missile it shouldn't have mattered where he ran. Unfortunately for it, he had already gotten behind the robot, and the missile was unable to execute the sharp turn necessary to reach behind the green robot. The missile tried to turn as it traveled further and further away, but it struck a building instead.

The green robot attempted to turn around and use the gripper against Unit 1, but Kent had swiftly knocked it down and was pummelling its broad back with punches and kicks. The repeated forces were preventing the robot from rising, and soon Unit 1 broke through its armor and was destroying the robot's vital systems.

* * *

The RaRa Army screen had changed to a view of pavement, which was all that the robot's forward cameras could see, and was filling with overlays of damage readouts. "Our robot is inoperative sir," sighed the subordinate. Pres. Rara was furious at this report, and further bad news came when another subordinate reported, "All our forces have been defeated, sir."

Pres. Rara's wife sighed, and he moaned slightly as he asked, "Pilot status?"

"All alive, sir," was the response. "Two Life Sympathy backwashes."

The RaRa Army robots were not actually controlled from inside the vehicle: instead the pilots broadcast their commands from afar. The backwashes meant that those two pilots had forever lost their piloting abilities. At least they were all alive. "Ms. Rah," he ordered, "move all personnel back to our territory." Ms. Rah would now take charge of transporting all of the pilots from their battlefield headquarters back to their own territory. Pres. Rara himself was in his own main base, and had no need to move.

"Such a pity," his wife remarked. "I was so sure that we had that white robot, that the battle had decisively turned in our favor."

"So did I, dear," President Rara sighed, settling into his high-backed chair. "I wonder why that white robot's pilot dashed out of the cockpit like that when she and her robot were both fine?"

"I don't understand it either, dear," his wife returned.

* * *

The scene inside the Earth Defense Force war room was exultant. "We beat that idiot Rara back again!" shouted Cmdr. Sanada as a general whoop of victory filled the atmosphere.

"Commander! Shouldn't you have more dignity?" Inspector Yamano admonished him.

Cmdr. Sanada ignored her, which didn't surprise the spectator Mrs. Nanjyoin. "Unit 3's closest; get her over to Unit 1 and check it out!" Mrs. Nanjyoin stepped forward, though still behind the commander and the inspector. Cmdr. Sanada turned to face her. "Don't worry, Mrs. Nanjyoin. I think she's going to be all right. We've still got positive vitals on her, right?" A subordinate confirmed this, and the commander flashed Mrs. Nanjyoin a grin. Though she didn't show it on her face, Mrs. Nanjyoin was enormously relieved and thanked the commander for his concern.

* * *

Kent wasn't certain if the hatch had opened in response to his own command or an outside influence. A small readout near his arm held Japanese characters which Kent knew meant "Battle Concluded." Of course he knew that for himself, but then reconsidered and wondered if it meant the whole battle. The robot was thankfully in a position where he could safely and easily reach the ground. He stepped out and reconsidered the woman. It had been awkward, at times- she had been flung like a rag doll in the cockpit, and he felt like they were a pair of beans rattling in a can. His seat didn't have so much as a restraining harness, and he was surprised neither of them had broken their heads on any of the walls. Still, she seemed to be unhurt, or at least had no new injuries he could detect. Kent had planned to leave her to her comrades, but upon further thought decided to at least watch from hiding until he knew she had been rescued.

Somehow, they had ended up near the huge pit where his holster signaler lay. He had finally seen it in there, after he was in hiding. It was lying in a puddle, and he decided the schematics was the small dark stain of ashes behind it. There was no hope for him now except to find this world's Dr. Sanada or Dr. Rara and convince them to build a parallel world transporter.

Earth Defense Force Core Robot Unit 3 marched into view only half a minute after Kent had concealed himself. Kent held his breath, hoping this blue robot was a friend. His hope was rewarded; it pointed its single-barreled machine gun down, not towards the white robot. The blue humanoid shape of Unit 3 crouched, and its pilot, D, stepped out towards the cockpit, and carefully examined the injured woman. D raised her head and, with an absence of emotion, confirmed to headquarters through her jumpsuit's communicator that the pilot lived. This lack of feeling was very normal for this D, as this counterpart was still in a bioroid body and had limited her emotions to cope with life.

Kent had done his duty, and so departed.

D wasn't sure what motion attracted her attention to the pit, but she noted something shining in its depths. Commander Sanada was saying to her, "That's great! But D, what about the other woman who piloted the robot? Where is she?"

"Unknown, Commander," D responded, "but I have located an anomaly in a nearby pit. It appears to be a device."

"What, you mean no one is around there?" Cmdr. Sanada realized he had to be very direct and clear when speaking to D; she took things rather literally.

"Negative. Pilot Schwael is the only person here," she replied in her usual monotone.

"Besides you, D," Cmdr. Sanada laughed at his own joke. D was unoffended and unmoved. "Well, all right, look into the device." He addressed all of his personnel. "All right, everyone, search the area for our great helper! We need extra manpower, and I don't think anyone wants to cross the border with RaRa territory only a few minutes after the battle. Therefore, let's take down the border checkpoints so those personnel can help with the search."

D retrieved the remains of the signaler from Kent's holster; the ashes had largely disassociated. She climbed back out of the crater and into Unit 3. She would bring the device to Cmdr. Sanada. A medical team pulled up beside Unit 1 and confirmed that Yayoi Schwael would be fine, though the preliminary examination indicated she had suffered Life Sympathy backwash.

Kent moved quickly towards his apartment in his original world. He still wasn't enthusiastic about meeting himself, but he hoped to get some sort of refuge there. He then recalled that he lived fairly close to a hospital, and decided to see if it was open before he visited his apartment. Kent was ready to go anywhere but where he was. He thought it expedient to remove himself from the battlefield as quickly as possible, before he became any further entangled in this bizarre war.


	11. Interlude 5

Interlude 5

On the afternoon of the day Kazuki's plan had been carried out, Mitsuki Sanada mentioned to him that she hadn't seen him in class at lunch, and wondered if he was all right. She had first scolded him for being soaked to the skin and gotten him his spare uniform and made him change before he caught cold and put the wet uniform in the drier, but this question came after all that.

Kazuki didn't want her to know about his plan, but also didn't want to be uncommunicative; she might have a better way to stop the guys.

"You probably saw all those guys in a crowd at my desk." Kazuki stated.

"My fans stole your lunches again, didn't they?" Mitsuki Sanada asked rhetorically.

"They try that every day. It's more than anyone can handle," he responded.

"I wish they wouldn't do that to you." She didn't seem suspicious, and this was usually how she acted when she was going to help him. "I'm afraid it wouldn't help if I were to ask them directly," Mitsuki Sanada continued. "They might start begging me directly for lunches, and if I refused, they'd return to pestering you. I figure you should just leave the room as soon as lunch begins. You can go to my classroom and join me for lunch."

"Wow, I never thought of that. Thank you!" Kazuki smiled.

Mitsuki Sanada smiled back. It would be nice to finally get to eat with Kazuki. Yayoi and the other Mitsuki need never know about this arrangement.

The next day, as soon as lunch began, Kazuki simply left the classroom with his backpack containing the precious lunches. The guys stared oddly at him, but bunched up around the empty desk anyway. They guessed he had gone to the restroom, and would be back soon.

Mitsuki Sanada had told him which classroom she'd be in for lunch. It was far from his own classroom because she was a grade older than he. Kazuki found it with little trouble. She greeted him enthusiastically. "I made you another lunch in case you let them take it from you," she mentioned casually.

"Actually, thanks to your advice, I actually escaped!" Kazuki informed her.

"I'm impressed. You are learning how to deal with them," she acknowledged.

In Kazuki's classroom, some guys had given up and began to eat their own lunches. The United Team Alliance had shown up five minutes ago, on schedule, and joined the crowd in standing about uneasily. Someone asked Kazuki's friend Shiozaki, "He was only going to the restroom, right?"

He received the dismayed reply, "I don't know, he didn't tell us."

"Hey," someone in the crowd suggested, "we're guys. Let's check all the men's restrooms."

"What an astonishing discovery," one of their female classmates muttered to another. "They're guys. I thought they were little boys. Standing around like fools."

Most of the crowd split up and began to check the restrooms on that floor. Others at first remained at the desk, but eventually joined the search.

Though she had completed her high school education several years ago, Mitsuki Rara set foot on the Nanjyo Private Academy grounds. Akane had realized that Kazuki had forgotten his personal digital assistant, which had a report he'd need for a class on the next day. Kazuki had meant to bring it to school, do some more research in the school's library, add to the report, and print it out, but had forgotten it in his room during the morning madness. Upon hearing this, Mitsuki Rara had immediately volunteered to bring it to him during his lunch break, although Akane was in favor of leaving it. Mitsuki had prevailed, for she was always in favor of being nice to Kazuki.

Mitsuki Rara soon realized she had not ascertained where Kazuki's classroom was. She found Dee eating her lunch, and asked her to help. Dee did know Kazuki's classroom, and together they set out to find him.

All of the men's rooms had been thoroughly searched multiple times by several squads of men. The manhunt, or lunchhunt, was unsuccessful thus far.

One of Kazuki's friends had just had an idea.

"Say, maybe Mitsuki herself knows where he is!" Izawa suggested.

"We could just ask to share some of her lunch if she doesn't," agreed Shiozaki enthusiastically.

"Where is her classroom?" asked another fellow in their search party.

"We know that by heart!" shouted the whole United Team Alliance, whose members were the remainder of that search party. They all set off to find her.

Other groups had the same idea, but only knew that Mitsuki Sanada was a grade older than Kazuki, and so decided to check in every single classroom appropriate to that grade. It was taking longer than they had expected.

Yayoi finished eating her lunch. Since she had extra time, she decided to look in on Kazuki. Perhaps she could help him with that report. If not, perhaps she could help him with his poor penmanship by guiding his hand through some writing drills. Mildly surprised not to see him besieged in his classroom by hungry fellows, she decided to see if he was in the library.

By now, the hordes of men who usually were holed up in Kazuki's classroom were wandering the school, searching desperately for Mitsuki Sanada or Kazuki. These men were growing hungry, and began to lurch about, fatigue warring with their desire for food and Mitsuki.

Young women of Mitsuki's grade screamed as one band of these horrifying creatures invaded their classroom. "You're in her class, aren't you?" one of the repulsive beings slurred. "Where's Mitsuki Sanada?" the things moaned piteously. A young man, reeking with sweat from their attempt to find Mitsuki Sanada on the outdoor athletic field, stumbled up to a frightened young lady. The star-crossed young man could only gasp out, "Please tell us!" The young lady waved her arms in front of her, shrieking, "Go away, go away!" The foul odor was not dispelled, and the thing continued towards her. It hissed, "Please," and continued its inexorable advance. The young lady simply stepped to the side, and the thing crashed into the wall, but still it begged, "Please tell us."

Mitsuki Rara and Dee had not been able to find Kazuki in any of the classes in his grade. They were trying to search other classrooms to find him. They poked their heads inside the invaded classroom. Mitsuki Rara asked, "Good afternoon. Please: has anyone seen Kazuki Yotsuga?"

The invaders turned towards them, taking rather longer than usual because of their hunger.

"No one's seen him," Dee sighed. Mitsuki Rara sighed as well, "I hope we find him soon."

The creatures shambled towards the door.

The two ladies bowed and said, "Thank you very much. Have a good day!" and walked purposefully and briskly away, intent on finding Kazuki before lunch was over. All the creatures in the room moved out the door and tried to follow them, but were too slow to see which way they went. The unfortunate band drifted aimlessly, desperately hungry.

Several females of the class they had left muttered, "Stupid underclassmen."

"Here it is!" the United Team Alliance proudly and loudly announced as their search party pulled up to Mitsuki Sanada's classroom, which had been unerringly located. The rest of their search party was rather confused when the United Team Alliance deferred to them with the words: "You go in first."

This confusion was dispelled when Mitsuki Sanada, alerted by the voices of the United Team Alliance, appeared in the classroom's doorway. She crossed her arms, looking angry and disappointed. "We agreed after the first time you gentlemen visited me in my classroom," Mitsuki Sanada rebuked, "that you would not visit me here again. If you would like to talk with me, I'd prefer it if you'd do it one at a time after classes."

"Uhh, we were looking for your cousin," Izawa nervously interjected.

Kazuki remained seated, wondering what Mitsuki was going to do. He didn't want his friends to know that he had escaped their lunch-coveting clutches again. They hadn't seemed angry over the ramen noodles, but they might have been plotting some sort of practical joke as revenge. He knew Shiozaki and Izawa, and he knew they loved practical jokes.

Mitsuki Sanada was about to say something when Mitsuki Rara and Dee appeared. Seeing Mitsuki Sanada, they walked over to her, ignoring the bizarrely dressed crowd outside the door. "Big sister, have you seen Kazuki?" Dee called to her.

Izawa, Shiozaki, the United Team Alliance, and the rest of their search party turned towards them. They knew that Dee was Kazuki's cousin, but who was this other beauty? Why did she look so much like Mitsuki Sanada?

Mitsuki Sanada, astonished to see them, said nothing.

At that moment, Yayoi appeared from the opposite direction. "Lunch is almost over, everyone. Please proceed to your next class." Then she stopped short. "Dee, Mitsuki, what are you doing here?" She meant Mitsuki Rara. Glancing again at the search party, she managed to make them disperse, though there were many wistful glances back at the four lovelies.

"I was trying to find Kazuki," Mitsuki Rara explained, "and I asked Dee to help me. He forgot his computer at home, and we were bringing it to him."

Kazuki appeared in the doorway. "Wow, thank you very much, Mitsuki!"

"Hello Kazuki!" Mitsuki Rara cried rapturously.

"Hi, big brother!" Dee squealed. She insisted upon addressing him as such, though they were technically cousins.

Yayoi joked, "I certainly hope Mr. Yotsuga hasn't forgotten to print out his assignment for my class."

Mitsuki Sanada crossed her arms. "Ms. Schwael, has he even printed out last week's assignment?"

Kazuki gulped. His computer did indeed contain assignments for Yayoi's class he had forgotten to print out.

Mitsuki Sanada eyed him seriously. "You'd better run to the computer laboratory and get them ready before lunch is done."

"But-" Kazuki began.

"You've got a good five minutes to make it back to class," Mitsuki Sanada informed him.

"I can make it there faster than you!" Dee challenged. "We'll race!"

Mitsuki Sanada frowned at her. "You need to make it back to your wing of the school before lunch is over."

"I don't have to get back to work for a while, I'll race him," Mitsuki Rara offered.

Pursing her lips, Yayoi said, "We'll all race together. I can officially excuse your tardiness for teaching purposes. Mr. Yotsuga, this will be a valuable experience in learning the value of planning assignments, and a good workout. Physical education is as important as mental education."

Mitsuki Sanada nodded firmly, absently adjusting his tie.

"Oh," said a deflated Kazuki. Ever since the day he had first met Mitsuki Sanada, foot races had lost the smidgen of appeal they had for him.

Kazuki found himself in front of the line of Dee, Yayoi, and the Mitsukis. At Dee's shout of "Go!" they ran forward.

All four of them actually ended up at the computer lab at roughly the same time. For some reason, the four ladies seemed to be stumbling into each other quite a bit; perhaps they were paying rather too close attention to Kazuki. He printed out all the reports, those for Yayoi, and the one that had begun the whole adventure.

The people in Kazuki's next class were amazed to hear, outside their closed door, Dee shout "We win!"

Mitsuki Rara called down the hall, "Do your best, Kazuki!"

Yayoi encouraged him, "Go as fast as you can. This is the time to use all the energy you've saved."

Mitsuki Sanada pronounced sentence, "Run faster or I'm not helping you with your laundry."

Some seconds later, Kazuki appeared in the classroom, and Yayoi left after she excused his tardiness. He slumped into his seat.

"Where were you all during lunch?" Shiozaki asked.

Izawa chided him, "Didn't you hear Ms. Schwael! He was participating in athletic exercises! It's just not fair! If only she'd ask us to race with her! I'd run anywhere for her!"

"Especially if Mitsuki Sanada's lunch were the prize!" added Shiozaki, and Izawa several times grunted in emphatic agreement.

Shiozaki winked at Kazuki with eyes and voice. "That was a good idea, losing the race to them. No wonder all those older women like you."

Kazuki was still slumped in his seat, panting.


	12. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Kent decided he should've realized his apartment would lie across a demarcation of territory. Before him were two guardhouses, actually guard tents. One, that of the Earth Defense Force, was being disassembled. The personnel there had to hurry and store the tent so they could join the search for the mysterious newcomer who had piloted Unit 1 to victory.

Hiding behind a building, Kent waited until all of the Earth Defense Force guards had stowed the tent and walked away to begin the search. He risked another look and saw that the second checkpoint, belonging to the enemy army, still remained. Its personnel weren't making any preparations to leave, and he decided he had to risk going through it. There were other routes to the hospital and his apartment, but Kent figured they'd be guarded too. An opportunity to pass through only one checkpoint might never occur again.

He walked up to the second checkpoint, the one maintained by the RaRa Army. To the left of the desk was a large television mounted upon a stand. Kent recognized upon the screen and the guards the logo he had seen upon the green robot he had fought, and suffered many qualms, but he kept his demeanor confident, as though he did indeed have the right to pass. He was glad the ringing in his ears had stopped.

The guards gave him odd looks; who could want to cross the border so soon after a battle? They had no reason to stop him, yet, and so simply asked who he was. Their questioning revealed that he was a foreigner on a student visa, and he was ordered to move his identification card through a card reader they had so the computer could confirm this. The process took an oddly long time, and one of the guards finally got on a nearby laptop computer to see what the problem was. One guard wondered at the hole in his shirt and the wound beneath. To avoid the suspicious stares of the guards, Kent watched the television, which appeared to be broadcasting propaganda. The propaganda's musical score was a stirring martial theme. He was careful to hide his wry amusement that no mention was made of the fact that the RaRa Army had just lost a battle. He was sure by now that it had lost the entire battle, and the propaganda's silence on the matter proved it.

The propaganda in question was delivered exclusively by an attractive but garishly dressed young woman, her face a curious mixture of war paint and makeup, and her hair an admixture of red. The subjects of the propaganda were so general that Kent correctly guessed it had been prerecorded and was broadcast when there was no more specific message that needed to be sent.

She was describing the goal of her movement, and finally identified it for Kent: the RaRa Army. They were led by a man they called President Hiroshi Rara, but Kent recognized that man's name and face from television in his original world, where he was the famous and wealthy scientist rumored to be sponsoring Dr. Sanada's research. He evidently had quite a career change in this world.

The RaRa Army's goals were a bit hard for Kent to understand: they involved several words that weren't often used in everyday conversation, and consequently he was either rusty on them or had never heard of them before. Through the gaps in his understanding, the picture seemed to be that they would unite the world, prevent war, and only destroy those who opposed them. Kent was naturally deeply suspicious of such a thing, but he was astonished at the breadth of the conquests the propagandist claimed had been made: most of the globe had fallen to this army. The one assertion that Kent decided was probably unqualifiably true was that no conventional army could hope to stop the RaRa Army. These giant robots were very tough, and versatile to boot. Considering that, it was small wonder that most of the globe had fallen to the RaRa Army and that only armies with other giant robots could oppose them. Kent wondered where these giant robots and the technological infrastructure to support them had come from.

At the laptop, the guard shook his head for the last time and signaled the guard at the desk. They nodded to each other, and the guard at the desk stood up and requested that Kent Slade come with him. A third security guard took up station at the desk, as the fourth opened the entrance flap of a nearby tent.

"You see, we use these tents rather than appropriate the buildings of the people, whom we are here to protect and serve." The guard escorting Slade made conversation with that remark.

The tent was behind the desk, and as the guard at the terminal turned to look at Kent's progress towards the tent, he gasped. "Look at the back of his head!" he exclaimed involuntarily.

"What?" the guard escorting Slade inquired sharply.

"It's covered in blood!"

Kent felt the back of his head and realized the guard was right. Fortunately it seemed to have clotted some time ago. Evidently his only other visible wound was on his side, or someone would've mentioned it earlier. The guard escorting him had come behind Kent to look. "Are you feeling all right?" the guard asked.

"Uh, yeah. You know how head wounds are, they just bleed a lot. This doesn't even hurt anymore. I was hoping to get it looked at in a hospital nearby," Kent replied, but there was no way to be nonchalant about the head wound he guessed had caused his concussion.

"We'll try not to detain you any longer than necessary; that probably does need medical attention." the guard told him, and they continued toward the tent.

Inside was a rectangular plastic folding table and two folding chairs. The guard sat on one broad side of the table, and Kent sat on the other, so that the distance between them was fairly small. Removing his sunglasses, Kent placed them in his pocket, thinking about his situation. Kent had suspected that things were going badly for him the moment he had been asked to come with this man. Hopefully he wasn't about to be tortured.

"There's a problem with your ID," the man began without prelude. "It registers as invalid in both Japan and the United States of America. No one matching your description has been granted a student visa by the Japanese government, and your American passport has never been issued."

For a moment, Kent had no idea how this could be possible, and then it hit him. He did not exist in this world. He had anticipated that Dr. Sanada might not exist here, but the thought that he might not exist here had never even crossed Kent's mind. By some twist of parallel universe theory, Kent did not exist here, and logically had no records proving that he existed.

The problem was simple, but the solution was going to be very difficult. Kent knew that at this moment, everyone had to suspect him as a spy. An incompetent spy, but a spy nonetheless, and spies were often killed in wartime. The best he could hope for was humane incarceration until he was exchanged for another captured spy or the end of the war. His objective was therefore to not be considered a spy or criminal.

A strong temptation to lie arose in Kent's mind, but a moment's thought showed that to be a bad idea on every level. It was immoral to lie, and here it was folly, for it was clear that this job's guard was to catch people in lies and then interrogate the truth out of them. Unfortunately, he knew that he had appeared to lie already, since his paperwork was not checking out. The truth had to be the way out of this situation, but he had to reserve the truth of his extradimensional origin until he had no other choice. The guard would doubtless think that truth to be either insanity or a lie.

"There must be a mistake," Kent ventured, "some mixup in paperwork or flaw in the computer networks."

"I suppose that's possible," the man humored him. "Why don't you tell me more about what you wanted to do inside RaRa territory while we try to sort this out?"

"I wanted to go to the hospital and my apartment. They're both beyond this checkpoint," Kent answered honestly. The man knew there was a hospital nearby, and so decided to address the mysterious part of Kent's appearance at the checkpoint.

"It was very foolish of you to remain in the combat zone, and it got you that nasty knock on your head, and your side. You had to have known that this area was under a mandatory evacuation order. We take every precaution to avoid injury to civilians. The trailer identifying the battlefield was released a long time ago. There was plenty of time and resources to allow you to leave. What were you doing in a war zone?" the man inquired with tones both fatherly and incredulous.

The guard was no fool, and he did have some reason for disbelief that Kent had willingly ventured onto a battlefield. Kent was just as surprised as he was that he had ended up on a battlefield, but that made little difference now. He had hoped to never reveal that he was from an alternate world, but it was the truth. It sounded crazy and like a lie, but any lies Kent could think of would be both morally wrong and sound even crazier. Kent preferred to be thought a liar and actually tell the truth than be correctly identified as a liar. Another thought occurred to him, that he ought to be very careful about revealing that he had taken part in defeating the RaRa Army robot. He imagined that the guard would take strong exception to Kent defeating his comrades.

"This is going to sound crazy," Kent began, and the guard's face fell. Did everyone think that coming before the security guard was like a movie scene? Why did human beings have to preface their baldest lies with their greatest pretenses of innocence and self-righteousness?

"I actually came here from a parallel universe," Kent explained. "It's a world largely like this one, except different in several key respects. I'm a student at the college, here on the student visa, in that other world. A man named Dr. Ken Sanada approached me about participating in an experiment. He wanted me to visit and explore another world. We carried out the transport just today, and I appeared in his house. I had no idea the whole area was going to be a battlefield. I would've left, but it ended up that I can't get back. Now I need to find some way to return home."

The guard's incredulous glance made clear he was now asking questions only to be thorough. "Do you have any proof?" the guard asked as soon as Kent finished saying the last syllable.

Kent knew he had none. It almost made him wish he had gone and picked up the ruined signaler in the pit, but it was an artificial hole in the ground and the hole looked very dangerous. "I could show you the remains of a holster where I used to carry some scientific equipment, although I lost the equipment in the combat zone."

"You lost it how?" the guard asked, again as soon as Kent had finished speaking.

"I suppose it must've happened when I was unconscious," Kent admitted, "since I'm not sure. I know I don't have it now, but the last time I saw it was when it was lying wrecked in the bottom of a pit. If it's still there I might be able to show it to you."

The guard made no attempt to move, and his facial expression now clearly showed that he did not believe Kent. Kent had to admit that by this point he wouldn't have believed himself if he were in the guard's place.

He decided to attempt to use logic. "What kind of spy," Kent asked, finally bringing the accusation into the open, "would tell you a stupid story like that? A real spy would at least forge his papers properly. I have no reason to tell you something so improbable unless it is the truth." Kent had noticed that the guard was no fool, and he could see he had voiced the questions the guard had silently been wondering about. The guard still obviously didn't trust Kent enough to trust his logic.

How could Kent prove that his story was true? He needed to tell the guard something true that the guard could prove to himself. Presumably there was some sort of telemetry on such a big and complicated and probably expensive vehicle as the giant fighting robots, and that telemetry was stored in some sort of battle record. The RaRa Army would therefore be able to know what condition its giant robots were in and what they were doing. Kent decided to risk telling the guard that he had been piloting the robot that defeated the RaRa Army robot, and describe the fight in enough detail that it correlated with the battle records the RaRa Army had of its robot's defeat.

Suddenly, Kent's idea blossomed into another. If he were to offer his services to the RaRa Army, then he might get to see someone who could help him. Having a skill that they needed would be a good reason for them not to kill him. Kent really didn't want to get involved in the war- he hoped to just get to meet with some sort of hiring manager who'd be more sympathetic and help him get home, or at least release him from custody. If he had no chance of getting back home, though, this RaRa Army didn't seem to be an immoral outfit, so he supposed fighting for them wouldn't be too bad. Kent decided to first try to convince the guard to trust him, and see if the guard would release him or at least let him speak to a superior who might release him. If that didn't work, he'd clearly outline an offer to become a mercenary for the RaRa Army.

"While I was out on the battlefield," Kent began his story, "I noticed a giant white robot slumped on the ground. I climbed inside and found its pilot unconscious. I bandaged her head, and then I saw a green robot coming- it turned out to be from your army, the RaRa Army. I thought it was going to shoot me, so I ran inside the cockpit and accidentally activated the hatch, and discovered that I could actually pilot the robot. Then I defeated the RaRa Army robot. I can tell you all sorts of other details about the fight, and the RaRa Army records will back me up."

"That's impossible," the man replied, looking at him contemptuously.

Kent looked at him inquisitively. There was silence for a moment, and Kent then responded, "I don't see why it should be impossible. I was out on the streets, and I saw one unmoving with a hatch open, and I got in. From there it was pretty easy to control, you don't seem to need any special training. Just put your hands on orbs and think. There's no reason that it's impossible."

"It's impossible because only females can pilot the Ancient Arms," the man replied, annoyed.

"Has that been tested?" Kent asked, his voice betraying his defensiveness.

"Yes," replied the man, his voice betraying his newfound contempt for Kent, whom he now considered a fool as well as a liar. "Many, many times. It was one of the first things discovered when the artifacts were still being recovered from the ground, before the RaRa Army began its mission. All sorts of men, young men, old men, middle-aged men, from nearly every spot on the globe, have volunteered to see if they could pilot a robot. The RaRa Army and the Earth Defense Force sponsored quite a few such tests. Nothing happens when a male pilots a robot."

So the robots had come from some sort of artifact? Kent briefly wondered. He wasn't sure what that meant, but he had to save his skin at the moment.

Kent stubbornly grasped at a straw. "Perhaps the Earth Defense Force found a male pilot and didn't tell you."

The guard shook his head, and decided to play the game a little longer before making another devastating conversational strike. "Everyone thought of that. I was part of the security operation. We had the best security precautions available, documenting everyone who entered and left the test area. All of the tests were conducted jointly between the RaRa Army and the Earth Defense Force, and every male volunteer had to be tested at both sites. Neither army could conceal any male candidate." The man could sense Kent gathering for another objection. "Even if they somehow did, it really doesn't matter too much. Skill is skill, and weapons are weapons and we've got enough of both. Now," his voice became sharp, "you will tell me why you are really here."

There was a longer silence, and then Kent finally broke it when he saw that the guard was unwilling to do so. "I did tell you why I was really here," Kent stated clearly. "I'm part of a scientific experiment from another world. It's very understandable that you don't believe me, but that's the only explanation for everything you've observed."

The guard shook his head. That wasn't the only explanation: the other explanation was that this fellow who claimed to be Kent Slade was lying through his teeth. Slade had pointed out the weaknesses in the theory that he was lying, but had failed to offer anything more substantial. Fortunately for the guard, his duty was clear. Whether Slade was lying or telling the truth, he ought to be referred further up the command chain. The guard would take him prisoner in case he was a liar. If by some incredible circumstance he were telling the truth, a report would have to be filed anyways about taking him prisoner, and as usual, all the prisoner's statements would be included in the report.

"Stetson," the guard called.

The fourth man, who seemed European and guarded the tent entrance, immediately appeared behind Kent. Kent's interrogator asked Stetson to guard Kent while he made a report to the superior, and left the tent. Kent guessed that he wasn't going to be leaving anytime soon, but a report was good news for him: at this point, the more word got out about him, the better.

Did he have to be captured? If there was any time he was going to be able to escape, it'd be now. No, it would've been ten minutes ago, when he was held up at the desk while they tried to process his ID. Walking up right after a battle had made him suspicious from the start. Still, while few people knew what should be done with Kent was his best opportunity to escape. On the other hand, Stetson was watching him carefully, meaning that Kent had no ability to surprise him. That was a big disadvantage. Stetson as a person, on the other hand, was quite reassuring: it looked like the RaRa Army was a large and diverse force, and his plan of becoming a mercenary looked that much more likely.

The interrogator reentered the tent with handcuffs. "Kent Slade," he addressed him, though he still wasn't sure that was his name, "you are hereby declared a prisoner of the RaRa Army for the crime of forgery. Your statements have been placed upon record in the RaRa Army files. You will be held until the date of your trial."

This was bad, very bad, and yet Kent was glad that his statements had been recorded and reported. Maybe someone who read them would deign to get him out of this. Kent had never been handcuffed before, and it was a strangely humiliating experience. It was even more embarrassing to learn that his prison transport would not arrive for another hour, so he and the interrogator had to sit and face each other for a long, awkward time. Being an interrogator, he tried to reopen the conversation, but soon stopped when Kent reiterated what he had said before.

What were the handcuffs other than a more visible representation of Kent's reality ever since he had lost the signaler? Kent decided that ever since his signalers had been destroyed, he had been a prisoner of this parallel world. It was an odd thought, for until this day he was a prisoner in his original world, never able to travel to another, and it had not bothered him at all. Now he was stuck in another, but in a much worse situation.


	13. Interlude 6

Interlude 6

Dee and her two best friends walked up the path to the Sanada residence, laughing at a joke. Dee had invited them over for a purely social occasion, and they had been glad to oblige. Before the world became a synthesis, the idea of Dee being sociable at all was incomprehensible. Now it was natural to her.

Izawa and Shiozaki risked a quick peek around the wall and through the gate at the house, then leaned back. They had finally managed to locate Kazuki's house by following his young cousin Dee home- he was so lucky to have so many attractive cousins. The object of their stalking, though they would not have called it such, was actually Mitsuki Sanada. Now the only thing necessary was to wait a good amount of time so it wouldn't be obvious that they had followed Dee.

One second after Dee and her friends entered the house, they sprinted up the pathway and rang the doorbell. They were not shocked. Both of them were waiting eagerly to see Mitsuki Sanada open the door and welcome them in. At long last, they would be able to talk to their idol in person. She would return the fierce devotion they held for her, and-

Sharing a puzzled glance with her friends, Dee turned around and opened the door. After all, she was the closest household member to it. "Good afternoon," she greeted Shiozaki and Izawa, wondering why they had appeared so soon after she and her friends had entered the house. Yoshiko had been almost certain someone was following them, but Dee and Michiko were less certain, though they had seen evidences. Were these the mysterious people who had been pursuing them?

She surveyed the crestfallen teenagers on the doorstep a moment before recognizing them. "Kazuki," she called behind her, "your friends are here."

Kazuki tried to sound cheerful. "They are? I wasn't expecting them! That's great, Dee! I'll be down in a second."

Mitsuki Sanada had been working unconcernedly in the kitchen, but now frowned and began chopping vegetables with more vigor.

Shiozaki and Izawa greeted Dee and Kazuki pleasantly. Kazuki sensed he had no polite alternative but to let them inside.

"Shiozaki, Izawa," Kazuki said nervously as he conducted them to the couch, "this is a," he hesitated, "pleasant surprise."

"Yeah," Izawa gulped out in broken fragments, "we wanted to call on you, as friends."

"We're great friends, Kazuki," Shiozaki intoned with more fervor than the statement deserved, "I had to know how you were doing. I'd do anything for you. You know that."

"I guess," Kazuki sighed. He had known from their strange manner at the door what they were really after.

Dee and her friends had lost no time getting to her room. Now they began to confide secrets in each other, some secrets causing peals of laughter to echo down the stairs.

"Kazuki," Izawa began, "how is your cousin Mitsuki doing?"

"Yes, is she well?" Shiozaki asked eagerly.

Kazuki shifted uncomfortably on the couch. Of course they wanted to get near their idol. Kazuki was sure that it was Mitsuki who, when making this world, had ensured that these two friends of his never visited his house. She had made it perfectly clear that he was never to bring home any males obviously abusing friendship with him to get close to her. Kazuki liked Shiozaki and Izawa, but it was embarrassing watching them act so oddly, and their insincerity was disconcerting. He also had no idea how Mitsuki would react to all this.

Dee and her friends entered the kitchen to feed Kumu, petting the dog, who wagged her tail at them. They continued to whisper confidences to each other, except when they laughed. Then the threesome returned to Dee's room.

After they left, Mitsuki Sanada considered her situation. It would be selfish of her to expect Kazuki to rudely throw his friends out, even though he knew perfectly well they wanted to see her, not him. When they were gone, she'd be thorough in learning just how they had found her house. Its location was a necessary secret; no one wanted to be deluged with fan mail, least of all at their own residence.

Mitsuki Sanada entered the room, behind Kazuki and in front of his friends. They leapt up, their faces quite red, and bowed. She bowed back, as Kazuki turned his head and said, "Mitsuki, these are my friends Shiozaki and Izawa." Kazuki laughed nervously as she met his eyes impassively.

Shiozaki and Izawa stammered in unison, "We're very pleased to meet you, Ms. Sanada."

The secret sharing was done; now Dee and her friends were simply talking at great length. They talked about Yoshiko's love of arranging flowers, a subject Dee was familiar with from long association with Mrs. Nanjyoin. The conversation then turned to Michiko's perspectives on romance, causing them all to share opinions of first kisses and other such things as to make giggles erupt once again.

Now it was Dee's turn to pontificate. She said, "I really want to go with my whole family into outer space!"

"Outer space!" Michiko repeated in surprise. Yoshiko was stunned as well. After a moment, Michiko considered, "It does sound exciting, but it's scary too!"

"Yes, what if you met aliens?" Yoshiko inquired.

Dee scratched Kumu's behind her ears as she seriously stated, "That might be frightening, especially if they were evil aliens. If they were evil, my family and I wouldn't stop fighting them. We'd be ready." She smiled slightly. "If they were good aliens, though, we'd be able to make friends with them, and then we might be able to go to school with them!"

There was compulsive giggling at that thought.

"And your lunches are always the best, Ms. Sanada!" Izawa told Mitsuki Sanada.

"Yes, they're just wonderful, like you!" crooned Shiozaki.

Mitsuki Sanada arched an eyebrow and smiled slightly. "How would you know that, gentlemen?" she put it to them.

"Kazuki's always so nice as to bring us a lunch you made," Izawa informed her.

"You two steal them from me!" Kazuki accused.

She frowned. "I really wish you'd be nicer to my cousin. Kazuki needs good food. I hate to think of him having to buy ramen after having his lunch stolen."

"Don't worry, Ms. Sanada," Izawa leaned towards her and said, "I'll replace it with hot soup from the vending machine."

"I'll replace it with ten hot soups!" Shiozaki amorously declared as he tried to lean around Izawa.

Mitsuki Sanada thought sadly to herself, "Kazuki, I've done my best, but they'll still be after your lunch."

Yoshiko asked Dee, "Why did those guys have to follow you home to visit your cousin Kazuki?"

Dee shook her head and replied uneasily, "I think they really wanted to visit Mitsuki."

The giggling was somewhat muted.

As the Shiozaki and Izawa babbled on, there was only one thought in Kazuki and Mitsuki's minds; when would these troublemakers leave?


	14. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Hiroshi Rara, president of the RaRa Army, looked up from the report on the prisoner Kent Slade, which he had devoured eagerly. His officer in charge of the borders had assured him it was very important and interesting, and he was right.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked his officer in charge of the borders.

"Hino and his squad are my best men, sir," the officer, Takei, replied. "If there's going to be anyone who'll disappoint you, it'd be the prisoner himself."

"Another world, a proof of my theory, as well as a male robot pilot!" President Rara had now stood up in jubilation. Takei hoped that this Kent Slade would prove capable of fulfilling such hopes.

* * *

Slade got medical attention during that hour he had to wait for the prison transport. The doctors came to the security tent, and Kent never left it. His interrogator seemed very competent to manage all of that. Kent honestly thanked his interrogator, without a trace of irony, for the medical attention, to which he had replied gruffly, "You're welcome." There was an uneasy silence between them and all the guards during the entire trip to the nearest RaRa base. There, to the surprise of Kent and of the interrogator, they were both placed aboard a helicopter and taken to an island. Kent didn't know what his interrogator knew: that this was the island headquarters of the RaRa Army. Someone must've found the report interesting reading.

As soon as Kent arrived at the base, he was met by Pres. Rara. He was much shorter than Kent, but there was something about his bearing, presence, and striking cape that made him an imposing figure.

Upon catching sight of Kent, Pres. Rara ran to him and grasped Kent in a manly bearhug. Then he stopped in confusion, "Uh, are you all right? You don't seem to be responding."

"Well, sir," Kent explained as best he could, "I'm, er, constrained." Kent was still handcuffed.

"Oh, take them off," ordered the president casually. Kent's interrogator removed the handcuffs. Kent was astonished. What about assassination attempts? Kent wasn't going to complain, though.

"Excellent work, Sgt. Hino," Pres. Rara congratulated Kent's interrogator. "Really excellent, you've just done a great deal for the cause! A pride to us all!"

Sgt. Hino had saluted as soon as he had seen his president, and was really delighted by this high praise. "Thank you very much, sir," he replied.

These courtesies seemed to spark in the president's mind an idea to do introductions. "Kent Slade, I guess you've already met Sgt. Hino at the checkpoint. I'm Dr. Hiroshi Rara, President of the RaRa Army."

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, sir," Kent responded, trying to determine if there would be another bearhug.

"Takei, now he's Sgt. Hino's boss, forwarded me the report as soon as he got it. He knew I'd be interested," Pres. Rara was continuing. "Takei said that Sgt. Hino and his squad were his best men," (at which Sgt. Hino was even more pleased) "and on another subject I think you, Slade, are mistaken: it was really me who sent you here, not Sanada, right?"

"No, sir, it was most definitely Dr. Sanada. I heard that you were probably funding the research, but all my contact was with Dr. Sanada," Kent contradicted him.

"He was sent here by Dr. Sanada?" This time Pres. Rara was asking the world this question in stupefaction.

"That's what he said, sir," the interrogator replied. He had also been surprised that their archenemy had sent him from another world.

Kent had no idea why this was so odd.

"There's no time to lose: we'll get you analyzed right away!" President Rara continued. How wonderful it was to get to do some pure science after having to rule the world for so long! He hurried on ahead, Kent walking briskly behind him. Sgt. Hino supposed since he hadn't been dismissed, he was still supposed to guard Slade, so he followed.

The three of them continued further inside the base to a little-used room. In it, Pres. Rara performed various tests that Dr. Sanada had done on Slade before the transport, but Pres. Rara's bedside manner was more cheerful. For fifteen minutes after the tests were done, the president appeared to be puzzling over the results: then he grunted "Aha!" and activated various pieces of equipment. He quickly ran a wand over Sgt. Hino, to the sergeant's great surprise, and over himself. Dr. Rara then muttered something about accessing a database of other subjects, and fiddled with a computer. It was only now, seeing him at work in a laboratory, that Kent realized he actually was a competent scientist; he had suspected he was just a money man who gave the scientist Dr. Sanada a great deal of funding. Dr. Sanada was rich: this man must be very rich, to own a personal army.

After twenty more minutes, Pres. Rara finally concluded, "At last, I've got conclusive proof of the existence of a parallel world! Your dimensional signature is completely different from ours!"

"A dimensional autograph? Sir?" was Kent's bewildered inquiry. He was having trouble with the Japanese words Dr. Sanada had just spoken.

"Sgt. Hino, myself, and various other readings I've done on other people from this world," Dr. Rara said, "all have this world's dimensional signature: or at least what we thought a dimensional signature until now. Since it was always the same, we couldn't be sure. You, however, have just proved it: your readings are exactly as predicted for someone from another universe!"

Kent noted that he still hadn't really answered his question enough for comprehension. For example, what were these tests measuring anyway? Dr. Sanada had never told him either.

Sgt. Hino, meanwhile, was completely astonished. Kent's story was actually true?

"But you should have a counterpart," Dr. Rara continued his investigation, "so his disappearance is odd. Let me ask you, who are your parents?"

Kent told him about his parents as they left the room, and Pres. Rara queried him for details about them. Kent found himself talking about his little sister and older brother, and about how his parents met. He felt as though he were dying to speak about them now, when he was potentially locked away from them forever. Pres. Rara had now arrived at some sort of records room, and performed a variety of computer searches. Finally he turned to Kent with a sad expression on his face.

"I'm afraid you never had a counterpart, Slade," he explained. "According to this information, your parents were never married. You and your brothers and sisters were never born. Your parents are both living in different places in the United States." He waited a moment, and added, "I'm very sorry."

It was one thing to not have a duplicate of yourself, but quite another thing to know that your entire family and all its special memories never existed. Kent was quiet for a moment with the shock. It could be worse: at least they hadn't all died horribly, and at least they still existed in the other world. That would be some comfort even if Kent couldn't return to them.

Kent had the chance of returning to them: he had the ear of Pres. or Dr. or whatever his title Rara, and Kent felt fairly sure that he could build a parallel world transporter to get Kent back. This man had funded Dr. Sanada's pursuits in the other world, so surely he was enthusiastic and knowledgeable about traveling between dimensions. Kent was not quite as enthusiastic as he thought he should be, and decided it was because he didn't really believe that. If Pres. Rara were able to do that, it seemed like he would. He had the resources of most of the civilized world in his favor and yet he hadn't done it. Neither had Dr. Sanada, if the incomplete transporter in this world was any indication. Kent suspected there had to be a very good reason that neither man had pursued their interest in dimensional theory. He wasn't going to give up without trying, though.

"Thank you, sir. I really appreciate your finding that out. I'd like to ask another favor of you. Can you please find a way to return me to my old parallel world?"

Pres. Rara's face fell even further. "I'm very sorry about that, too, Slade. I can't, really. First of all, nobody's gotten around to doing much dimensional physics in this world. It could be years before I assemble the theoretical knowledge. The reason, of course, is this war. I suppose in the other world it was more peaceful and I had time to sit around and think about parallel worlds, but as a leader I have a responsibility to plan and win this fight. Even if the knowhow were ready, all the factories are geared for war production- we couldn't really change to other things very easily."

"I understand, sir," Kent reassured him, and he did. He hadn't set his hopes too high. That sadness he felt would just have to wait a better time for its expression. Besides which, after the war was done, perhaps then he'd have an opportunity to ask for a signaler or parallel world transporter. In any case, he shouldn't let his face be downcast.

Sgt. Hino continued watching Kent. He looked disappointed.

"Slade," Pres. Rara began speaking into the miserable silence, "if you'd like to try to rest for now..."

Kent looked at the president for a moment, then shook his head and enunciated, "No thank you, sir."

Pres. Rara smiled tightly, but inside he was jubilant. It was as he'd hoped- this was a strong young man. He wasn't going to run away from pain or danger. The RaRa Army could use a man like this.

"If you'll both come with me," he continued, gesturing to Kent and Sgt. Hino, and then stood and led them out of the room.

There was a sudden voice on a public announcement system requesting the presence of Sgt. Hino in a debriefing room. Sgt. Hino turned to Pres. Rara with an inquiring glance. Pres. Rara seemed surprised, but said, "Thank you very much for your great services to the RaRa Army."

"You're welcome, sir!" Sgt. Hino saluted him. He moved quickly out the door and hurried toward the debriefing room.

As Kent and Pres. Rara emerged into the hall, Pres. Rara's wife walked up to them. "Here you are, dear," she said to her husband.

Kent was astonished at the sight of her. He had recognized her instantly, from having seen her photograph in a creepy basement. She was Dr. Sanada's dead wife in the other world!

"Dear," Pres. Rara responded, "I'd like you to meet Kent Slade."

"Pleased to make your acquaintance," Ayuko Rara greeted them.

"It's very nice to meet you," Kent returned, though he was unsettled. It wasn't every day that you met the living dead.

Pres. Rara quickly explained to his wife who Kent was. "How interesting," she said, with a stare that reminded Kent of a cat, for some reason he couldn't identify.

Pres. Rara now turned to Slade with a fierce grin on his face, "We just happen to have a robot simulator around here that we use for training purposes. I'd really appreciate it if you could use it for us- we've never gotten to observe a male pilot of a robot. It should be a lot better than what you've experienced already, because Sanada's only got flimsy tin cans for robots!"

Kent wasn't sure at all what Dr. Sanada had to do with giant robots, or why they should be a logical comparison to the RaRa Army robots, but he agreed. Ayuko accompanied them to the simulator; evidently she really was interested. Kent was surprised how quickly he had gotten used to Dr. Sanada's dead wife in the other world here being alive and married to Pres. Rara. He idly wondered why she had picked either husband. Not that either were bad.

They arrived at the simulator. It was a seat enclosed in metal, soundproof to help the pilot concentrate on the simulation. Kent seated himself in the seat and placed his hand upon the sympathy orbs. Pres. Rara had hurriedly and with a fierce grin rushed to a bank of consoles running the simulation and monitoring the pilot's responses. Ayuko accompanied him more deliberately.

Pres. Rara had turned on the simulator seconds before Kent placed his hands on the orbs. The orbs thus instantly alit as soon as Kent placed his hands upon them. Pres. Rara, seeing the life sympathy reaction, cried aloud, "Have you got this, Sanada! You have no idea what data I've got! The first known male pilot! I've got all his data, and he's going to be on my side!" He began to laugh maniacally.

Ayuko couldn't believe it. She had been assured this was impossible. Yet the impossibility had been delivered right to their door, and was now their greatest opportunity.

"I suppose you're going to offer him a job as a pilot," Ayuko commented.

"Yes, dear, of course I am!" Pres. Rara answered with glee.

"That's a very good idea," she continued. "I certainly hope he does accept." She returned to watching the test.

Kent felt somewhat foolish- he had thought this was similar to a flight simulator, not a combat simulator. He thought he was just supposed to maneuver to no purpose in his simulated robot. Therefore, he had in surprise let a simulated enemy give him quite a pummeling before he struck back. He was also rather confused as to what sort of robot he was supposed to be piloting. It seemed very, very slow compared to the Earth Defense Robot he had piloted earlier. Probably it had a lot of armor on it. He wished he had a better idea of its equipment and looks, because then he could fight better. The simulation concluded with Kent victorious nevertheless.

Pres. Rara managed to envelop him in a hug again as he emerged from the simulator. "You are the first known male pilot!" he laughed aloud. "You're a good one, too! It's my honor to offer you a job as a combat robot pilot for the RaRa Army!"

In a flash, Kent remembered his situation: no prospects except this, and this prospect didn't seem immoral or imprudent. He replied, "I'm honored as well, sir. I'd be very interested in becoming a mercenary for you."

"Excellent!" Pres. Rara shouted.

"Thank you for your aid, Slade," Ayuko added.

"Let me introduce you to the battlefield commander," Pres. Rara said, coming down from his euphoria. "She'll be your new boss. She reports directly to me, and is my eyes, ears, and mind on the battlefield."

Kent felt a quick burning edge of disappointment that quickly subsided. He had asked to be a mercenary largely in order to get a great deal of freedom. Still, he had apparently short-circuited the chain of command almost to the head honcho, and so that should provide him with as much freedom as he desired.

They were walking towards yet another room. When they arrived, Kent realized that this was the entry room that he had first entered the RaRa headquarters through. Walking in the opposite door was another familiar face. It was Ms. Rah, just returned from the battle. She was escorting the pilots from that battle, and everyone stood at attention as Pres. Rara entered the room. He advanced towards them, and said, "Thank you all for your excellent efforts on the battlefield today. The RaRa Army may lose battles, but we shall win the war!" He proceeded to dismiss the pilots and introduced Kent to Ms. Rah with the words, "Ms. Rah, this is our newest fighter, a mercenary for our army. He is the only known male pilot of a combat robot. Meet Kent Slade!"

Ms. Rah shook Slade's hand firmly and resonantly declared, "We're glad that you have joined our campaign for Pres. Rara, Slade. I look forward to leading you to victory."

This was Kent's first time ever meeting a television personality, especially one as strangely dressed as she. He managed to come up with, "Pleased to make your acquaintance." Her eyes seemed to observe him, but have no reaction to him. He began to wonder if joining this outfit actually was a good idea.

"Shall I conduct him to new quarters, sir?" Ms. Rah asked.

"No, Ms. Rah," Ayuko told her, "we'll handle that. Go on ahead to debriefing, do one last trailer, and that'll be all for today."

Ms. Rah nodded and made a production of her salute, then turned abruptly and walked deliberately to an exit.

Pres. Rara gasped, muttered something about not having arranged any quarters yet, and ran at full speed out of the room, presumably to arrange said quarters. Ayuko excused him with aplomb: "It's so hard to have to run the world, Slade."

"Yes, ma'am," Kent agreed, glad to find something that he was certain about around here.

"Your outfit will be the standard RaRa male outfit, since we haven't got any male pilot suits. I suppose the seams could be modified a bit, but then that might destroy the balance of the whole thing."

Ayuko was conducting Kent as she spoke to a fitting room. She seemed very knowledgeable about clothes, and prattled without end about them. This was actually a relief to Kent, as the subject bored him to tears and he wouldn't have been able to maintain his end of the conversation. He finally found himself in the uniform, an affair consisting of black and red pants, jacket, and a black cap with the RaRa Army logo on it. Ayuko put a finger to her chin and pronounced that it "suited him" and then talked yet more about it. Finally Pres. Rara hurriedly entered the room and informed them that Kent's quarters were ready. These proved to be stylish, spacious affairs, probably because they were in the pilot's wing, and as Pres. Rara said, "They're our main fighters, and we need to keep them happy!" Kent chuckled with him. Kent was intrigued by how great a relief it was to finally set down his great backpack and know it could remain there for some time.

By this time Kent had gotten very, very hungry. It was a normal dinnertime for him, and during all his adventures he hadn't a moment to consume lunch. The Raras insisted on bringing Kent an excellent meal there in his room, though whether to please Kent or Ayuko was unclear. They asked him endless questions about his original world, and about his fight that day. Kent doubted that they'd be this nice to him once he became something familiar. Still, he honestly did find himself liking Pres. Rara, and maybe even coming to understand Ayuko.

Once Kent was full of food, he started to become very sleepy, due not to any drugging of the repast, but to the strain of his journey. The Raras left him to retire.

"I think I'll take a turn in the garden, dear," Ayuko said.

"I'd love to join you dear, but so much work has piled up," Pres. Rara was saying, and Ayuko smiled at him.

"Don't worry, dear," she replied. "We're all counting on you to get that finished. I just wanted you to know where I was."

Ayuko walked outside, under the full moon. She reckoned that Kumu knew already of the day's mad events, and probably was in a fury over them. Ayuko herself was convinced they were for the best, and she'd have to convince her of that. This interesting young man could help win the war for them, and not even Kumu could deny that.

* * *

At that same instant of time, many miles away, Cmdr. Sanada sighed. He desperately needed a break of either time or luck, but both were against him now. The search for the person who had helped Yayoi had drawn up a blank. It was most maddening that her helper had not vanished into thin air, but left many clues: Yayoi's bandage, the fight against the RaRa robot, and the odd device from the crater.

Right now, the commander needed desperately any aid that the helper could've supplied. It had been confirmed: Pilot Yayoi Schwael had suffered a Life Sympathy backwash. Yayoi would live, but never be able to pilot a robot again. Cmdr. Sanada had, of course immediately approved one of their strongest candidates to become Unit 1's new pilot. Unit 2 was piloted by a similar woman, and Unit 3 was piloted by D. They were all good pilots who did their best, but lately their best had not been enough to stop RaRa. He hoped this day marked a turn of their fortunes for the better, but it seemed more likely they had turned to the worst.

There was nothing Cmdr. Sanada could do about it now, though. He almost considered returning to his house for a moment, then laughed the idea away. What would be the point? It was just a place to eat and sleep, both of which he could do here, Inspector Akane Yamano's complaints about his malodor notwithstanding. There was no one waiting for him at home, and so nothing to make returning home worthwhile. He shook his head ruefully and grimly pressed on with his work.


	15. Interlude 7

Interlude 7

Dr. Rara expansively welcomed everyone onto his island laboratory. He was looking forward to today's tests. He, Dr. Sanada, Ms. Hayase, and a large staff of researchers, had been poring over the giant robot Zinv for some time, studying it in many ways. Now, for the first time since it had arrived in the synthesis world, they were ready to have human beings pilot it.

He surveyed the crowd of his guests. Kazuki, of course, was there; it had been quite a job convincing him not to pilot Zinv already. Dr. Rara's daughter was also present, as was her cousin and counterpart Mitsuki Sanada. Both of them were trying to fix Kazuki's hair, mussed from the sea wind. Dee was her chipper self. Mrs. Nanjyoin was prevented from coming by a slight cold, but had insisted Yayoi come to the test, and it was clear Yayoi was glad to participate. Mitsuki Rara's friends and bodyguards Ryla, Mena, and Alice had also been enthusiastic about coming. Dr. Sanada was discussing some new findings quietly with Ms. Hayase. Akane waited patiently.

Finally, Dr. Sanada and Ms. Hayase were done talking, and Ms. Hayase announced that everything was ready for the test. Zinv had been successfully moved to a sitting position, and all instruments were giving off normal readings.

Akane looked around once again. "Dr. Rara, where's Ayuko? I hope she's not sick as well?" she asked, though she guessed Ayuko was not indisposed at all.

Dr. Rara put his hand on the top of his head and rubbed nervously, and lowered it as he spoke. "Well, she couldn't make it today, no."

Mitsuki Sanada spoke for everyone when she guessed, "She's shopping, isn't she?"

"Yeah," admitted Dr. Rara.

With that behind them, they proceeded to the mammoth hanger that had been constructed for Zinv. Ms. Hayase and Akane proceeded to a control room recessed into one of the walls, with a glass window looking into the hangar.

The others stood out on the catwalk before Zinv. It was white for the most part, although it also had dark patches, especially on its face. It was larger than the Core Robots, and taller than the giant building it was housed in, which meant it was usually kept in either lying down or in a sitting position. The roof could retract if Zinv needed to get up. This was a feature added in the synthesis world so Zinv wouldn't destroy the building's roof as it had done once before the worlds merged.

"Ms. Schwael, if you would, please," Dr. Rara nodded to Yayoi.

In the world Kazuki and Mitsuki Sanada visited, Yayoi had been a pilot for the Earth Defense Force, under the command of Dr. Sanada. She suffered a Life Sympathy backwash during a battle with the RaRa Army. Kazuki had arrived and helped her, winning the battle for the Earth Defense Force, even though it was the first time he had ever piloted a robot.

The synthesis world, however, had never experienced the war between the Earth Defense Force and the RaRa Army, so theoretically, in this universe, she had never suffered a backwash. It had been decided she would be tested first, to see if she could pilot robots once again.

Yayoi smiled confidently despite her nervousness, and placed her hands upon the sympathy orbs. Without so much as a second's delay, yellow particles swirled outwards from the center of the orbs, and the whole was illuminated. Yayoi's smile broadened and her eyes watered slightly. Ms. Hayase confirmed a life sympathy reading. Kazuki and Mitsuki Sanada had given Yayoi back something she had missed dreadfully.

Zinv, she knew, had always been closely identified with Kazuki. It had emerged from the alien artifacts in the Earth Defense Force base to protect him and fight with him, just like Kazuki had done for her. Yayoi smiled as she considered that being in this cockpit was just like being near Kazuki.

She had to surrender the robot to the next person who was to be tested. There was only one piece of artifact technology in the synthesis world, and that was Zinv.

Mitsuki Rara settled into the cockpit and activated the life sympathy orbs. How glad she had been to see Zinv return to them after her mother had propelled him back to his own world. Kazuki was such a nice person. When he was in this robot, he was always helping someone, always rescuing someone, always beating back the evil of the RaRa Army. It was such a relief that she and her family were no longer caught up in that mad struggle for power, and it was all thanks to him.

Just as Yayoi had done, Mitsuki Rara smiled at Kazuki as she exited the cockpit. Again Kazuki smiled back. Mitsuki Sanada fidgeted but said nothing.

Dee was immensely familiar with Zinv's cockpit. She had piloted this robot, long ago. Dee had attempted to use it to save her civilization from destruction, but had failed. After that, she had been very afraid to trust anyone, but Kazuki had been trustworthy.

Mitsuki Sanada got into the cockpit uneasily. Those three were getting emotional over nothing. Sure, this was a big robot, the one that Kazuki had used to rescued her from Ayuko, but that didn't mean anything. It didn't hold emotional impact for her. None at all. Not a bit. How could it? Even if it was just like Kazuki.

The trio smiled- Mitsuki Rara had always been so happy to see this robot on the field. It was amazing to remember, as they each had their turn powering it up, how easily it tore through other robots. They were glad they had never fought it.

Kazuki's grin could not seem to be contained on his face as he seated himself in the chair and calmly placed his hands upon the sympathy orbs. No one was surprised when blackness arose within the orbs and glowing wings burst forth from Zinv's back.

The civilization that created artifact technology made their fighting robots increase in power when a male was the pilot. The robots were already incredibly powerful, and these additional powers made the robots incredibly destructive. Kumu had therefore placed a limiter upon the robots so that only females could pilot them, so their awesome combat powers could never be unleashed. Kumu had, of course, done this before the worlds were merged and she became a dog.

Kazuki had been able to pilot robots despite the limiter, and then Dee had removed the limiter, giving Kazuki access to the full power of Zinv, including the light-hawk wings that unfolded from Zinv when Kazuki piloted it. In this synthesis universe, there never was a limiter, and so Kazuki immediately brought Zinv to full power.

Both scientists cackled with glee, and asked Ms. Hayase at the same time but in different words if she was recording everything properly. She assured them that she was. Kazuki remained in the cockpit a few seconds longer, and then disembarked. Zinv's light-hawk wings furled and disappeared, and the sympathy orbs returned to their usual red color.

Kazuki was walking towards the group when he heard a noise behind him. Everyone turned to see Dr. Sanada slip quickly into Zinv's cockpit and place his hands upon the control orbs. The dark fire awoke within them, and the light-hawk wings cast their radiance once more.

"Ha ha! So much power, it's unbelievable! Who'd ever have thought that the ancient technology could-" Dr. Sanada babbled, but was cut off as Dr. Rara, only a few steps away, covered the distance between them and grabbed Dr. Sanada by the collar. Dr. Rara pulled Dr. Sanada out of the chair and placed his own hands upon the orbs without even sitting in the chair. The wings had retracted and the darkness vanished the moment Dr. Sanada's hands had left the sympathy orbs, but they now both appeared at Dr. Rara's touch. The resultant flash, sudden darkness, and renewed light left curious images in the onlooker's eyes for several seconds, as though they had directly looked at a camera flash.

"Stupid Sanada. To think you could comprehend all this- why, you didn't even excavate this yourself-" Dr. Rara was saying to Dr. Sanada.

Dr. Rara had only been able to pull Dr. Sanada a short distance away, and Dr. Sanada now clamped his hand upon one of the orbs and tried to order the hatch to close. Dr. Rara felt the hatch plates shift beneath his feet, and used the sympathy orbs in both his hands to order the hatch to open again. "No, Sanada, you can't get me out that easily! Open, I say!" Dr. Sanada countermanded his order, "Close the hatch already! You should've closed it when I was inside, before this buffoon yanked me out!" Dr. Rara laughed at him, "Ha! Zinv likes me better! I was standing in the entryway, and it didn't want to crush me by closing the hatch!" Both men had without realizing it moved to positions where they would both be crushed if the hatch were to close, so Zinv had stopped trying to close the hatch, but they still yelled over each other's command "Open!" "Close!"

The Mitsukis and Dee remonstrated with their respective fathers, while in the control room Akane growled in fury and Ms. Hayase was growing steadily more worried about her employers' behavior and the readings from Zinv.

Kazuki strode towards Zinv. "Stop it right now!" Kazuki suddenly yelled. The two men were still bickering, oblivious to everything else.

Zinv roared, an intense, unforgettable sound. Dee knelt and covered her ears to block out the incredible volume. Mitsuki Sanada and Yayoi unconsciously stepped back a pace or two and looked up at Zinv's head. Mitsuki Rara exclaimed in surprise.

The right arm of Zinv lifted and began to move toward the hatch. Both doctors, alarmed by the sudden roar, now released the sympathy orbs and began to move away from the giant robot. The hand still moved towards them.

Zinv was unique among all of the ancient technology in that he was actually Kazuki's counterpart. In the other universe where the artifacts were unearthed, instead of there being another Kazuki born and living as Kazuki had, Kazuki's parents were childless. Zinv was, somehow, his other self in that world. This meant that not only did Kazuki and Zinv have a curious, almost telepathic connection, but Zinv was also capable of autonomous movement. Zinv acted with the same purposes and feelings that Kazuki did, since in some sense they were both the same person.

Doctors Rara and Sanada scrambled further away from Zinv's oncoming hand, which seemed poised to scoop them up. Then Zinv placed that hand before the hatch and pointed its index finger at them accusingly. Everyone except Kazuki was stunned into silence and surprise. Kazuki was still standing with his arms crossed, glaring at his uncles, his emotions doubtless exactly the same as Zinv's.

Dr. Sanada slowly put his hand sheepishly behind his head. "Ah, well, no harm done."

Kazuki and Zinv were unmoved.

The doctors sighed, bowed their heads, and apologized in unison, "We're very sorry."

"We forgive you," Kazuki informed them. Simultaneously, Zinv's hand retracted, and his hatch shut softly.

Ms. Hayase sighed in relief and Akane shook her head in disgust though she was relieved as well. Ms. Hayase reached for the intercom. She broadcast into the hanger, "Doctors, shall we have Kazuki Yotsuga begin the test run now?" The decision over who would pilot Zinv first had been put off until this moment, but it seemed best to begin with him.

"Uhh, yeah, let's start," awkwardly agreed Dr. Sanada.

Kazuki smiled and laughed, his displeasure behind him. He strolled towards Zinv, looking up at its head, and the hatch opened for him as he drew alongside. Zinv and he proceeded to stroll outside, feeling wonderful in the fresh air.


	16. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The full moon shone brightly overhead as Ayuko strode quickly across the garden. She stepped down a slope and came before her destination, a stone building, resembling a rather small pyramid. Ayuko guessed that Kumu was rather impatient, for she found herself abruptly being transported underground.

Ayuko knew perfectly well where she was. She had been transported into one of the subterranean hollows of this battleship so large that it appeared to be an island. Ayuko wanted to talk to Kumu about what had happened all that day, and she was pleased that Kumu wanted to speak about it too. Kumu would probably be angry, but if Kumu was willing to talk, then Kumu was probably willing to be persuaded.

Most observers would've assumed the blue circle in the floor before Ayuko Rara was an ordinary pool of water. These ordinary observers would've been astonished when they saw one portion of the pool glow, then distort upwards into the air as though someone was poking a stick into a sheet of elastic. There was a shattering noise, and several small fragments of the distorted pool fell back to the pool in a solid form and then melted. Kumu had emerged from underneath the pool.

In the synthesis world, Kumu was now a dog who belonged to Dee and actually seemed to like her former enemies, except Kazuki. In this world, she was still an unrepentant and implacable foe. Her physical form was a hovering sphere and tail that appeared to be made out of fine glass. Like D, Kumu was one of the last survivors of the civilization that had made the artifact technology: the battleship they were now on and the giant robots. Kumu chose to ally herself with Ayuko, and thus indirectly with the RaRa Army.

Kumu's sphere was bright red, and her discordant voice lanced into Ayuko, "You supported making that man a pilot!"

Ayuko came back: "Kumu, when a person with a Life Sympathy score near 65 practically falls into your lap, you ask only one question: Will you please be a pilot for us?"

Kumu was unconvinced. "You have many capable pilots, and many robots far more destructive than the ones you used today!" she accused.

"Many of which," Ayuko countered, "are still being manufactured or repaired. In any case, having a lot of pilots already might be a good reason to turn down bad or average pilots, but not good pilots."

Always Kumu beat around the bush, but she now found herself forced to state her real grievances. "Men are destructive! They cannot control their violent impulses! Together we finally managed to create a perfect fighting force. Accepting that man may ruin all of our plans; he could destroy us all!"

Ayuko knew that was Kumu's real reason for opposing hiring Slade as a pilot, because Kumu had said the same things about men in general many times before. Ayuko had never understood her on this point, but it had never mattered before. Kumu had tolerated the hiring of men and women for every role other than pilot. Everything she knew, from her husband and Sanada's tests to Kumu's confirmation, had indicated that a man could not pilot a robot, so this had never been a difficulty between them until now.

Slade couldn't possibly be as dangerous as Kumu thought, Ayuko reasoned as she shook her head at Kumu. Did she really imagine that one person could possibly render powerless an entire army?

Kumu was now pronouncing vehemently, "Males are too violent to be used as pilots. I prevented them from using the robots with my limiter. They are the enemy, the enemy, the enemy..."

Ayuko had never seen Kumu so angry.

"...the enemy, the enemy..." Kumu repeated.

"Yes, I know, but-" Ayuko tried to speak.

"...the enemy, the enemy, the enemy..." Kumu said without pause.

"Kumu, now, hey, wait, wait, look, listen," Ayuko choked out, trying to get Kumu's attention.

"...the enemy..."

"He is a male, Kumu-" Ayuko said in rising annoyance.

"...the enemy, the enemy, the enemy..."

Ayuko snapped. "Kumu will you stop that!" she bellowed.

Kumu halted her repetitive monologue abruptly.

"Kumu, he's on our side. His story checks out entirely. Why do you assume that his destructive powers will be used against us instead of for us? You make him sound like some sort of killer. He's a mild-mannered boy. The only time Slade could harm anyone is when he's piloting a robot. I've introduced elements into all our robots that allow us to control them remotely, or even shut them down if required. If Slade ever went berserk or betrayed us, we'd simply turn off his robot. It's not as though we're making him our only pilot. He can't stop our victory, he can only hasten it."

"Possibly you may be right. He is still dangerous in ways you don't understand," Kumu uncertainly replied. Her sphere changed color to yellow.

"Then perhaps you ought to be telling me more. I'm ready to hear your explanation of why this male can pilot a robot."

"Theory suggests," Kumu explained irritatedly, "that his nonexistence in this world creates an energy imbalance that allows him to overpower my limiter."

Kumu was a consummate absolutist; she never qualified any of her statements. Her indecisiveness here made Ayuko suspect that Kumu didn't know how Slade could defeat the limiter. That was startling, for what Kumu didn't know she almost always could find out.

"I'm not trying to defeat my own cause, Kumu," Ayuko was able to say calmly. "We'll both just wait and see how he performs. If he is ineffective, as you say, we have many other pilots. If he is a great pilot, he'll help us win."

"If his destructive impulses are strengthened," Kumu completed for her, "he will be very difficult to handle. I shall watch him closely."

Ayuko smiled her cat's smile at Kumu. One of their greatest similarities was their inability to admit to a defeat or a change of mind. "I'll be watching him too, Kumu. I always enjoy our visits, but I need to get to sleep now."

Kumu, typically, did not respond, but simply transported Ayuko back to the garden. Ayuko walked the short distance back to the base.

* * *

Dr. Sanada slammed his fist against the desk in the world Kent Slade had originally come from. The last test had been a failure, too. There was no doubt now. Dr. Hiroshi Rara moved from behind the console to stand next to Dr. Sanada.

The cellphone probe they had just sent out had returned intact. Its signaler was working properly. There were no malfunctions with any equipment here in the lab. Everything was working perfectly, except that no sign of Slade, not even his two signalers, had returned to them.

"He's-gone," Dr. Sanada croaked out. He desperately needed some water, but made no move to get it. His eyes dully encompassed the parallel world transporter and the clock informing them that the two men had worked through the night and into the wee hours of the morning.

Dr. Rara wordlessly handed Dr. Sanada a handkerchief. Dr. Sanada daubed his bloodshot eyes as Dr. Rara sighed with fatigue and despondency.

"We won't turn it off," Dr. Sanada choked.

"We'll leave it on," Dr. Rara agreed, "in case he can signal us later."

There was quiet in the lab a moment, until Dr. Sanada blew his nose.

"I don't think we ought to send anyone after him," Dr. Rara suggested, and was startled when Dr. Sanada thumped the desk again.

"I couldn't send anyone there now," Dr. Sanada angrily elocuted, "not if the same thing might happen to them. I should've listened to Slade, should've done more tests, made it safer. I might've killed him."

Dr. Rara couldn't say anything to that, but just stood there a moment longer.

"Thanks for your help," Dr. Sanada turned to Dr. Rara.

"Don't mention it," Dr. Rara assured him with a sad and sympathetic smile. He waited a moment more, then asked, "Sanada, do you want to tell the family, or shall I do it?"

All the muscles in Dr. Sanada's face seemed to jump in several directions at once. "I'll do it-" Dr. Rara said quickly.

"No, let me handle it," Dr. Sanada said loudly and confidently. "It'll be fine."

"Okay," Dr. Rara hesitantly affirmed.

The two doctors trudged up the stairs in hope of getting some shuteye.

* * *

Kent Slade awoke, slowly remembering that he was in his new quarters on the premises of the RaRa Army. He climbed into his uniform, which felt like a stranger. Ayuko had ensured that it fit very well; Kent was simply unused to wearing a uniform and having it be a part of his identity. The uniform seemed to reciprocate the feeling. It seemed to Kent that at any moment, it might abandon its unfamiliar wearer and bolt off down the hall to say hello to an old friend.

He had awoken early enough that no one was in the corridors. He quietly began to explore the base. It would be for Kent nearly a home for some time, and he wanted to have some idea of its layout. Kent only made a few exploratory forays and returned to his room. He didn't want to be thought of as a spy so soon after being cleared, and someone might want to talk to him.

Kent determined that no one had left any messages in his room, and emerged from it. He caught sight of four beautiful women in what appeared to be RaRa Army uniforms for females. They were walking towards his door, and the one in front called out, "Oh, you're awake. We were just looking for you."

"Hello," Kent responded, advancing towards them quickly. "Pleased to meet you: I'm Kent Slade."

The woman in front laughed, holding her hand before her mouth. "But we've already met! Don't you remember?"

Kent paused, totally confused. He reexamined her and could not recall ever meeting her.

"No one's ever recognized her before," commented one of the other ladies.

"I'm Ms. Rah," explained the first woman.

She was quite obviously telling the truth, and now that she had given him the hint, Kent saw that it was quite true. The woman standing before him was indeed his new commander. The main differences, which had prevented him from recognizing her, were that she had abandoned the gaudy habiliment, makeup, and insanely and eternally forceful mannerisms of Ms. Rah for more practical clothing and restrained personality.

"Let's all introduce ourselves more properly," suggested another one.

Ms. Rah nodded and gestured to each person. When she wasn't Ms. Rah, she both saw people and reacted to them. Her reactions and relaxation indicated that these were her friends. First she gestured to the person who had suggested introductions. "This is Ryla Phoenix, Mena Fitzgerald, and Alice Sharome. They're some of your fellow pilots. My real name is Mitsuki Rara."

"Pleased to meet you," Kent said again, because there didn't seem to be anything else to say.

Kent had thought he'd seen everything when he saw that there was indeed such a thing as a parallel world, when he had seen giant robots engaged in melee combat, and when he had seen Dr. Sanada and Dr. Rara become feuding warlords. Now he was part of an army of attractive women and had a Jekyll and Hyde propagandist for a commander.

"Can you really pilot a robot?" Alice asked curiously.

"I really can," Kent affirmed.

"Where are you from?" Alice questioned quickly.

"California," Kent told her. She certainly seemed enthusiastic about this interrogation, and seemed about to ask another question, but someone else had gotten ahead of her.

"How many callsigns have you gotten?" Mena asked, then added, "Oh, wait, you wouldn't have gotten any yet."

"What's a callsign?" Kent wondered aloud.

"Oh, my," Mitsuki Rara said. "It's easy to forget that you're new to all of this."

Kent must've looked at her oddly, for she added, "I've been fully briefed."

"And she told us!" squealed Alice, prompting glares from Ryla and Mena.

Mitsuki Rara explained, "To begin a battle, we send out a trailer in which I, as Ms. Rah, declare the attack location and time and advise everyone to evacuate. Then whoever opposes us brings their robots at the appointed time and we fight. Our robots are piloted remotely, and we lose the battle if all of our robots are destroyed. The Earth Defense Force's Core Robots have pilots inside them. They send a callsign to surrender if a pilot can't keep fighting. We allow them to remove all of their robots and pilots, and we keep the territory."

"A callsign is therefore a surrender," Kent sought confirmation.

"Exactly," nodded Ryla.

That was rather a relief to Kent. That meant he hadn't killed anyone in the battle yesterday, and he wouldn't have to kill anyone in any further battles.

"My father asked that you come for another test," Mitsuki Rara finally suggested.

Kent began to follow the four of them down the hall. Who was her father, and- wait, her last name was Rara, so her father must be Pres. Rara, and her mother Ayuko Rara. Kent hoped that she hadn't gotten her position through nepotism.

Their destination was a good step from where they were, and it was filled all the way with chatting. It was a continuation of their conversation before they had found Slade in his rooms, about a battle that had been fought the week before. This battle turned out to have been fought in the same city that the cellphone probe had been sent to, and Kent realized that was why the cellphone probe had shown him deserted streets. The foursome had quite a bit of corps d'espirit.

Kent was included in the conversation, and elicited the information that Ryla, Mena, and Alice had just graduated high school, while Mitsuki was a few years older than the three of them. Kent told them in turn that he was studying for a master's degree. He was glad he had the sense not to ask their ages directly. Kent found their friendliness enabled him to grow more comfortable with the four, even his commander.

Finally they all emerged into a predominantly red room. Kent had the impression of having gone underground to get here. Pres. Rara and Ayuko had arrived before them, and so had another beautiful young woman working at a console. Kent was greeted warmly by the Raras, and was swiftly introduced to the young woman at the console, Ms. Kaoru Hayase. The three pilot friends of Mitsuki Rara stood beside Ms. Hayase as Pres. Rara briefed Slade on the test.

This would be Kent Slade's first test of an actual RaRa robot instead of a simulation. The robot itself, named Himc, was parked in a hanger next to them. It was a different kind of RaRa robot than most. The pilot actually would be inside it during battle, instead of remotely piloting it. Pres. Rara first wanted Slade just to activate the robot, and warned him not to rush, as Himc wasn't yet completed and might be dangerous to a pilot. At that, Kent noted Ms. Hayase's mouth turned downwards a little bit. Kent recognized that look; it was one he had whenever someone insisted on pushing ahead with experiments despite the current state of the experiment being unknown. Scientists and engineers both preferred certainty.

Kent had a chance in the hangar to get some impression of what the robot looked like: basically a huge cone for a body, a sort of belt about the waist, and a head with a gold piece almost like a crown. A large white sheath, anchored to the back of the cone, partly encapsulated the robot's middle. For some reason, the room was very dark, except for a pinkish glow at the bottom, and surrounding the room were metallic helixes imprinted and shaped like leaves and branches, of all things. Though he had no way of knowing it, he was in the chamber where Ayuko had met Kumu the evening previous. Down at the bottom of the chamber was the blue pool, directly beneath the knifelike tip of Himc.

It was not a robot that walked, Kent knew immediately from its lack of legs and the tip pointed groundwards; he guessed that it must fly or float. He was glad he wouldn't have to make it do that this time.

He entered the cockpit of Himc, which seemed positively gargantuan in comparison to that of the white robot. Kent seated himself and his hand automatically fumbled for a seat belt. Not finding one, he consciously turned his head and looked. Then he looked to his left and right. There was nothing to keep him in the seat. He stood up to look behind the seat.

Pres. Rara's voice resounded inside the cockpit: "Slade, are you all right?"

Kent spun around in surprise, his knee still resting on the seat of the chair. Whipping his head about made his injuries on his head and side throb, and he cringed in pain. He saw a video screen alight with the president's face, and said, "I was just looking for the seat belt, sir."

Everyone in the red room was confused.

"Isn't there a seat belt, sir?" Kent plaintively plead.

"No," Pres. Rara shook his head slowly, staring oddly at Kent.

"Well, sir, could we have one? I mean, I was just remembering how in that other robot I was being flung all over the place. It seemed pretty dangerous, and I thought that a seat belt would make things a lot safer."

"A seat belt," Pres. Rara said, chagrined. "Why didn't I think of that?" Everyone else felt just as embarrassed. "Um, well, yeah, we'll get one put in."

Kent shrugged and settled into the chair, placing his hands upon the sympathy orbs.

Ms. Hayase leaned forward and began to adjust controls. Alice, looking at the console over Ms. Hayase's shoulder, squealed and pumped her fist in the air in delight. "He's really doing it," was Ryla's surprised comment. "Ow!" exclaimed Mena.

"Please excuse me," apologized Pres. Rara; he had accidentally jostled Mena.

"Mitsuki, I can't see," complained Ayuko, trying to peer at the console over both her daughter's shoulder and Ms. Hayase's arm.

Ms. Hayase was growing frustrated; her arms kept bumping into people as she tried to work. "Would everyone please step back?" she demanded.

Kent was growing bored, just sitting there with his hands on the controls. How long would this take? He heard faintly on the communication system Alice crying, "No fair! I wanna see too!"

Pres. Rara finally ordered, "That's enough now! The test is over. We've got to get everything ready for the battle this afternoon." Immediately Kent stood, moving his legs to get some kinks out of them. He had been sitting for some time. The little crowd around Ms. Hayase's console finally and slowly dispersed. Pres. Rara and Ayuko left first after thanking Slade through the intercom and Ms. Hayase in person for their work. Mitsuki Rara and Ms. Hayase exchanged a sad glance as Mitsuki left the control room with her trio. Kent by this time had disembarked from Himc and entered the control room from the hangar. He looked about, wondering what he was supposed to do now.

Ms. Hayase looked up from studying the test results and said helpfully, "You should be able to meet up with them at the main exit." Kent thanked her. "You're welcome. A pleasure meeting you." Kent's parting shot was, "The pleasure is mine."

As she continued to examine the results, Ms. Hayase wondered whether to be happy or unhappy that he was on their side.

Kent was at the main exit, and felt it remarkable that in such a short time he had gone from entering this room in handcuffs to being dressed in the base's uniform. Kent noticed Pres. Rara and Ayuko enter and stare at the door to the interior of the base, which soon opened. He caught sight of a procession, consisting of Mitsuki, now in Ms. Rah attire, another woman whom he presumed was a pilot, with Ryla, Mena, and Alice bringing up the rear. This group saluted to the Raras, and Kent saluted to them as well, as well as he could.

Ms. Rah and the pilot were the only ones to leave the building. Pres. Rara and Ayuko repaired to the control room. Mitsuki Rara's friends advanced towards Slade and invited him to the pilot's lounge. They informed Slade that it was a tradition for those pilots not fighting to observe the fight in real-time and critique it.

The lounge was very comfortable, and there was plenty of time for everyone to settle before the battle began. On the huge screen, there was an establishing, low-angle shot of Ms. Rah standing atop a building in an urban zone, ordering the RaRa pilot to begin the fight. The pilot was in a green chair beside her, and the sympathy orbs on the chair now began to glow. Kent was surprised when the screen turned totally dark. He had just enough time to wonder if there was some sort of malfunction with the cameras when the screen turned light and showed the camera rising. Soon Kent could see enough to see that the camera was also in a highly urban area, surrounded by skyscrapers like those he had seen Ms. Rah and the pilot perched atop.

"Did we just see the robot come out of the ground from first person perspective?" Kent deduced.

"Yes, we always watch the battle from the robot's perspective to help us get into the pilot's shoes," said Ryla, "though the main war room can use other views too."

Kent could only see murky, incomplete reflections in the skyscrapers' windows, so he asked what the robot looked like. Mena told him that it looked a lot like the dinosaur with plates on its back, but walking on two legs. Kent decided she meant it had some resemblance to a stegosaur, apart from its gait.

The robot had continued advancing all this time, and the tension in the room was growing. Contact with the enemy had not yet been attained. Usually there was immediate pitched battle. This time-"It's an ambush!" was the alarmed cry of Alice.

All three of the Earth Defense Force's Core Robots stepped out from behind buildings and opened fire on the RaRa Army robot. The Core Robots were arranged roughly in a triangle surrounding the RaRa robot. It was thickly armored, though that did not prevent it taking damage. The RaRa Army robot turned, raised its hand and fired its own machine gun behind it at D's robot, Unit 3. D, in her robot, ducked back behind the building. The other two units maintained their fire.

Wildly swung the camera as the robot turned to its right and charged the closest Core Robot, the white Unit 1. The RaRa Army robot's plates on its back were actually missiles, which it now fired at the machine gun Unit 1 carried. Lines extending from the rear of the missile looped around the rifle, and Kent was astonished to see these wires begin to melt the rifle. Unit 1 quickly threw the rifle away, and it exploded. This distraction had given the RaRa Army robot time to get close to Unit 1. The RaRa robot picked up Unit 1 in one hand and turned about to face Unit 2, which had pursued it. Unit 1 feebly scrabbled at the enemy hand, unable to break its grip.

Kent was the only person in the pilot's lounge who was surprised by what happened next, but doubtless the Earth Defense Force was surprised as well. The chest of the RaRa robot opened up, revealing a bank of rockets. They fired upon Unit 2, striking it to the ground. Unit 2 had, however, gotten some shots into the RaRa robot's chest area after it had opened and become vulnerable. The robot was therefore unable to control itself as Unit 3 ran up behind it and fired its machine gun.

There was a shriek from behind Ms. Rah as the RaRa pilot experienced the pain of a Life Sympathy backwash. Ms. Rah moved over to the seat to check on the pilot: unconscious but otherwise uninjured.

* * *

"That was a tough one," Cmdr. Sanada sighed as he sank back into his seat in the Earth Defense force war room.

"Staff Officer Shibata's idea for a trap worked very well," observed Inspector Yamano.

"Pilot status confirmed," an officer reported, "Units 1 and 3 well, and Unit 2 backwashed."

The commander sighed. It looked like he'd need yet another of their candidates to replace Unit 2's pilot.

* * *

In the lounge, Kent was still staring at the Rara robot's transmission of a picture of the sky, which had interference it didn't have before, but the others were already sure of what had happened.

"Awwww!" whined Alice.

"Not even thick armor like that can hold out forever," sighed Mena.

"Too bad," agreed Ryla.

"So, we lost and we're just seeing the robot stare blindly at the clouds?" Kent asked. The others nodded. Kent sighed as well. Everyone despondently pulled themselves off the comfortable furniture.

* * *

It was much later that evening when Mitsuki Rara walked down the corridors to Kent's room. Kent heard a knock and was glad he was still in uniform. He opened the door when he heard a knock and stepped out into the hallway, facing his new boss.

Her face was troubled as she began: "Slade, I'm not saying any of this to blame you. You're new here. You have no idea what the RaRa Army is really doing."

The only emotion Kent revealed was confusion; deep inside him, he began to know fear.

She continued without pause: "My parents insist I hypnotize myself to become Ms. Rah, to deliver their message and help in their fights. Ms. Rah says many things, but I know all the RaRa Army really is doing is taking what belongs to others. All my parents really want to do is conquer the world."

This was precisely what Kent had been nervous about, she was confirming his deepest fears- but no, he had been convinced it was all right. He had given his word and signed the mercenary contract. Kent had helped draft the contract himself. Kent was certain about this. What she was saying could not be true.

"I can help you escape," Mitsuki Rara was saying, "but I can't go with you. They might accept it if you left, but they'd probably search very hard to get me back." She swallowed. "They are my parents, and I have to try to convince them to change."

Anger suddenly arose against her. She was his commander! She should not be doing this! It was her duty to maintain morale, to reassure him that what they were doing was right. This was mutiny, it was treason!

Could this be a trap or a test? Kent's wrath cooled. That had to be it. He had never seen either Mitsuki Rara or Ms. Rah act this way before. She and her parents were testing his loyalty; she was only pretending. That had to be it; there was no other possibility. Of course it was. There was no way he could be wrong on something this important.

She had stopped speaking, and was awaiting his decision.

He made a sound for the first time in this conversation. "Commander, I didn't expect the RaRa Army to be perfect. There's always something wrong that happens. But, commander, even good people do bad things sometimes." His voice was so certain that it became strained. "I trust your parents, commander. I think that they're trying to do what is right."

It was now Mitsuki Rara's face that was confused, to which she added surprise. Kent Slade was now completely confident. Now, as she regarded the unmoved Slade, horror began to flood her being. She had taken a great risk, but had been certain he would listen. Some people in the RaRa Army were as deceived as he, and some were truly evil. Mitsuki Rara had never attempted to convince anyone to abandon the cause, and had only chosen to do it now because she was certain Slade, an outsider with decency, would listen.

Slade had listened to her, but he had not followed her. She had placed herself in terrible danger.

In a very small voice she asked him, "Are you going to tell my parents?"

Immediately he responded.

"No."

As soon as the word had left him, he knew he had doomed himself. For what had he said such a boneheaded thing: sympathy for a pretty girl, or pity for such a pathetic plea? Slade had nearly been free of the net, almost out of the obstacle course, but had now failed at the very end. His loyalty should've been to the father, not to Mitsuki Rara. Her father was, after all, the higher-ranking officer in the command chain. He should've mercilessly proceeded to seek out Pres. Rara and attempt to denounce her. Then he could've had the happy experience of Pres. Rara and Mitsuki Rara explaining to him that she had only been pretending to test his faithfulness. It was all an act, they would assure him, and Slade would know that he had indeed chosen the correct course when he signed on with them.

Unfortunately, he had wavered at the last, and agreed to shelter a traitor. Now Mitsuki Rara would throw off her act and gaze upon him with disappointment; Pres. Rara or some minor functionary would appear from wherever they were spying on him, watching the scene, and throw him out, or imprison him yet again.

This had all occurred to Slade very quickly, and none of it appeared on his face; for he quickly realized that nothing of the sort was happening. He was alone, except for Mitsuki Rara, in a totally silent corridor. Her face was confused anew, still very frightened, and somewhat disappointed, but she wasn't informing him that he was fired.

Perhaps it wasn't a test.

In any case, having committed to his course of not telling her parents, he decided to continue in it. He smiled casually. "No," he said again, and went further, "I won't tell them, commander. I'll let you and your parents work out this disagreement. You are the ones in charge, after all. Besides, commander, I'd say that your great concern for morality will help us all to conduct ourselves appropriately when we fight."

The fear had now left her face, leaving only the disappointment. "Then I shall leave," she proclaimed sadly, and began to slowly walk away.

"Good night, commander," Slade replied, reentering his room. Closing the door, he paused a moment. Had they decided not to flunk him for his last mistake? Maybe. Perhaps she was simply uncertain about whether she was in the right, and had meant all she had said to him. That was seeming more likely. He wouldn't be certain until tomorrow, but Slade felt confident that he was safe and in the right.

Mitsuki Rara looked back at the door to Slade's room with bitter sadness, and left.

* * *

Dr. Sanada stopped typing the letter to Slade's family on the computer for a moment to consider his idea. He stated it aloud, "If only my daughter, my little Mitsuki Sanada had lived, I could say that he had eloped with her!" He laughed, laughed, laughed, and laughed for another quarter of an hour, incapacitated by his own hilarity.

* * *

Author's Note:

I'm not trying to mock "..the enemy..." bit, it was actually one of my favorite scenes from the show. On the other hand, I couldn't resist pitting the two most insane characters against each other.

Enjoy the interlude: the main characters will return to the main plot in 8 chapters!


	17. Interlude 8

Interlude 8

Mena, Alice, and Ryla, Mitsuki Rara's friends and bodyguards, sat around the outside of the studio. Mitsuki Rara had gotten work at the local radio station, and her friends were sitting in their chairs. Their current subject of discussion, and their usual one, was how to push forward the halting romantic relationship between Kazuki and Mitsuki Rara, especially in the face of stiff competition from the many desirable women who surrounded him.

The "On Air" light above the studio doorway went out, but the trio only barely halted their discussion before Mitsuki Rara emerged. They asked her how the broadcast went, and she said that it had gone well. They left the building and walked and laughed together for quite some time.

On a sudden impulse, Mena asked Mitsuki Rara, "Are there any special days coming up for you soon?"

Mitsuki regarded her quizzically. "No, I don't think so. Why do you ask? Am I forgetting one?"

"No," explained Mena, "I wanted to be sure I wasn't forgetting anything."

After some thought, Mitsuki told her, "For some reason, I recall that Kumu's birthday is in a few days. I can't be sure why I remember that, but that's the only unusual day I can think of."

They all returned to the Sanada household, where Mitsuki was once again living.

Kazuki was walking down an unusually deserted hallway at school when three women in school uniforms suddenly fell into step with him. The uniforms didn't disguise their identities a bit; he instantly recognized the bodyguard trio. Seeing this, they proceeded to stand in front of him. Kazuki wondered yet again just where they had gotten the uniforms from.

"Be outside your house at 9 tonight," Ryla intoned.

"And don't tell anyone!" insisted Alice.

They were gone before Kazuki could force out a grunt of confusion.

That evening, Kazuki attempted to slip out of his second-story bedroom window. It was so easy for Yayoi and Ayuko he thought, but then he remembered that they hadn't been trying to go down. He had considered just leaving the house normally, but then he considered Mitsuki Sanada's probable reaction and decided against it. Kazuki was fairly sure that this had something to do with Mitsuki Rara, whom he hadn't seen much of lately, so he went.

Kazuki fell the last few feet and landed awkwardly, but there was no reaction from the house. He tried to open the front gate as quietly as possible, but it squeaked nonetheless. He hurried past it, though there was again no alarm given in the house.

Waiting for him outside the gate was the trio, as he had expected. They were all on their hands and knees on the cold sidewalk, pressed against the low wall that marked the boundaries of Dr. Sanada's property. Kazuki knelt down beside them, his befuddlement at their posture plain.

"The wall's not very high," Ryla explained awkwardly, "and we'd be seen if we stood up."

"I see," Kazuki said neutrally. "Ladies, do we really have to be so secretive?"

This question took Ryla aback further, and they all looked at each other.

"Do we have to be secretive?" Alice wondered aloud.

Mena reminded her, "You like all the dressing up and sneaking around."

"So, we do have to be secretive," Alice agreed.

Kazuki grunted.

"Take Ms. Mitsuki out on Kumu's birthday," Mena told him.

"I didn't know Kumu had a birthday," Kazuki said, looking at them oddly.

"Of course a dog has a birthday!" Alice was irritated.

"Oh, yeah, Kumu's a dog now," Kazuki understood.

"It's a good time for a big date with her," Ryla was trying to get the main point across.

"Mitsuki Rara celebrates Kumu's birthday?" Kazuki still didn't understand that part.

"No," Mena admitted, "but nobody'll care about that if you make it a night to remember!"

"Yes, you need to pick her up in a limousine," Ryla stated. Alice began to say quickly, "You'll also need balloons, candy, roses," when Kazuki waved his arms.

"I can't afford all that!" Kazuki complained.

"Miser! Isn't she worth it?" Alice harangued.

"I'm serious; I don't have much money!" he insisted.

"I calculated the price of all that, and it's within his budget," Mena informed them all.

"No, it isn't! How do you know what my budget is anyways?" Kazuki protested.

"Your budget over the next decade, but within it nonetheless," Mena clarified with a smirk. "We could give you a loan, at very reasonable interest rates."

"Why do I need all that stuff anyways?" Kazuki queried aggrievedly.

"Those were only suggestions, we didn't actually mean for you to do all of them on the same date," Ryla hastened to assure him. Mena nodded with a wider grin. Kazuki groaned; he had been taken in by their jokes again.

"I meant for him to do them all on the same date," Alice said, seeing all of them as traitors.

The other two women stared at her.

"I'd better hurry back inside, or someone might find out I'm not there, goodbye," Kazuki told them.

Upon Kumu's birthday, Kazuki found himself swamped in a deluge of work. Many teachers had suddenly given him a lot of assignments, and on top of that he had household chores to do. There was no way that he could go on any sort of date tonight.

The bodyguard trio was waiting impatiently for Kazuki to make his move. All three of them sat in the living room of the Sanada home alertly, ready to distract with conversation or, as a last resort, bodyblock, anyone trying to interfere. They suddenly noticed that Mitsuki Rara had begun to do her evening chores much earlier than she usually did.

They glanced at each other in consternation. This would not do! At any moment Kazuki might pluck up his courage and ask her out! Ryla ventured, "Miss Mitsuki, what are you doing? You don't usually start on the chores this early."

She looked at Ryla oddly. "I told you all that I had work at the radio station later this evening. I scheduled it a few days ago."

Now they recalled this communication. It had been completely forgotten in the abundance of activity necessary to find a special day on which Kazuki would date her.

"I remember now!" Alice laughed rather too long to convince anyone that she was happy.

"Are you all right?" Mitsuki Rara asked in concern.

"We're very well," Ryla assured her. Mitsuki left the room to attend to something, and Mena slipped out another exit and ran up the stairs.

"Mena," Kazuki said in some relief when she appeared. "I'm glad you're here. This homework is taking a long time, and I can't possibly take her out tonight."

"Please don't be concerned," Mena said in some embarrassment. "She can't make it tonight either, she has to work."

Kazuki sighed in relief as he turned back to the sheets of paper before him. "Thanks for telling me, Mena. What a lucky break," he commented.

She sighed, but simply left.

Now the trio sat around in the living room with long faces.

Ryla decided, "We'll just have to think of the next special occasion."

"Yeah! When's your birthday, Ryla? He can take her out then!" Alice was inspired to say.

"Why should Kazuki take Miss Mitsuki out on Ryla's birthday?" Mena was dumbfounded.

"It's too far away in any case," Ryla said. "We need something even closer."

"We'll need to make sure Kazuki doesn't have any schoolwork," suggested Mena. "And we may need to obtain his calendar to find the next day he thinks is important."

Their machinations continued long into the night, and at the end they accomplished nothing.


	18. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The leader of the RaRa Army, Pres. Rara, had reviewed the results of the last battle with some dissatisfaction: only natural since it was a battle his army had lost. Now, some days later, he had finally come up with a new plan.

"You know, dear," he said to Ayuko, "our current robots really are powerful. I've been thinking, though, that some of our future models show more promise than others."

Ayuko looked nonplussed. "We've managed to conquer nearly all the world with the robots we've been using. You could consider deploying more of them at once."

"The huge ones are terribly expensive to transport. And someone must've finally told stupid Sanada how to use his robot's agility against our huge robots' slowness," objected Pres. Rara. "The new robots we ought to build should be the ones with the jewel cannons in their shoulders; they have agility and a powerful ranged attack. They can counter the Core Robots. I agree that big robots have worked in our favor, but I also want to use one of the incredibly powerful and large robots we excavated directly from the artifact. The big robots we make ourselves based on that technology are good, but they'll never be as good as what that civilization did. That's why I think we ought to devote the rest of our resources to the restoration of Himc."

Perhaps he was right, and Himc was one of the projects Ayuko had been championing for some time. "That is true, dear. You do best with these sorts of bold policies," she told him.

Pres. Rara seemed puffed up by this flattery, and continued on his way.

Kent Slade had not been fired; he had been designated the pilot for Himc. One reason was, as the only male pilot, he didn't seem to fit in anywhere else in the RaRa Army. The other reason was that Kent seemed to respond very well to Himc, and preliminary tests had indicated that its complex systems might be difficult and even dangerous to pilot. When it was learned that Kent could control it well and without danger, they decided not to bother testing anyone else.

A great relief for Slade was that he and Mitsuki Rara had both instinctively acted as though their conversation had never occurred.

He was finding it easier and easier to move Himc around, though as yet, to keep it secret, Pres. Rara had only allowed him to practice maneuvers either on the island or in a simulator. His time on the island's surface was very strictly limited because of Pres. Rara's worries about spy satellites detecting Himc. Pres. Rara was determined that it would be a secret weapon, and a very good one.

Another major simulation had been scheduled for Kent, with Ms. Hayase, Mitsuki Rara, and Pres. Rara in attendance. Pres. Rara was looking forward to this one, because hadn't been able to see most of Kent's simulations. This test would attempt to evaluate the completed Himc. It hadn't yet been built, but the hope was that the imitation experience would help Kent gain piloting experience and help the design team see what needed to be fixed. This prompted Kent's comment that it was "just like NASA flight simulators," though he was aware of significant differences.

Kent was granted access to top secret drawings of what the completed Himc would look like, so he could have an idea of what he was supposed to be piloting in the simulator. It had the same huge cone and crowned head of the Himc he had piloted earlier, but now most of its form was ensheathed in a huge golden cocoon. Out of this cocoon emerged several long and golden tentacles with articulated digits which constituted hands. The old model had only one such tentacle coming out of the top of the cone. Like the earlier Himc, the golden Himc had no legs, and moved by floating a short distance off the ground.

Inside the simulator, Slade attempted strafing and dodging maneuvers with this new Himc. "We never imagined it being able to do that," muttered Pres. Rara to himself. Himc had always been slow, but Slade had set himself to working around that with those tactics. It still dodged and darted slowly, but it performed better than one would expect looking at its titanic form.

"Now use the high-energy bullet," ordered Mitsuki Rara, following the test script.

"Yes, Commander," affirmed Slade. An actual live-fire test of the high-energy bullet had been performed with the old Himc some weeks ago. Slade had been irritated by the fact that before it fired, the bullet formed in front of Himc for several seconds while it gathered power, and had requested that it take less time in any future upgrades. Unfortunately, it took about the same length of time here in the simulation of the new Himc.

Slade made a faint clicking noise in disapproval and bemoaned, "Still too slow."

"It can't get any faster," shrugged Pres. Rara.

"Hm," vocalized Slade as he considered what to do about it.

"Fire beam!" Mitsuki Rara commanded.

"Yes, Commander," was Slade's response. He was more enthusiastic about the beam. It fired instantaneously, which in his mind made up for the fact that it was only about medium range. "Feels like the beam's distance is longer on this one," he commented.

"We were able to get that done," chuckled Pres. Rara with only slight unease.

"Himc, grapple the enemy!" If Mitsuki Rara were in Ms. Rah garb, that would've been a shout, but as she was not, it was only forceful.

Slade shot out one of Himc's tentacles to its full length, then each in succession, then two at a time, and several other configurations as they had discussed before the test. "You lengthened these too?"

Ms. Hayase shook her head. "It only seems like it," she informed him.

"That's all the scripted maneuvers. You can play around now," Mitsuki Rara commanded with a smile.

"Thank you," Slade replied wryly. He simulated extending two of the tentacles at once, then four of them. "Hm, cent, cent, cent, cent...centipede...centaur...no,no, it's Medusa, Gorgon, close but- hydra!" he mumbled.

"What are you talking about?" Mitsuki Rara asked in some confusion.

Slade talked as he flexed the tentacles about. "I was trying to remember what this new Himc reminded me of in Greek mythology. It's a little like Medusa, but since the tentacles don't come out of Himc's head, it's more like a Hydra. Except," he began mumbling again, "its tentacles don't have heads on them. Not really like either."

"That's an interesting way to think of Himc," she laughed softly.

This went unheard by Slade; he was concentrating on moving the six tentacles independently of each other, and finding it very difficult. His mind had always been trained to command a four-limbed organism, with two limbs for walking and two for manipulating. Now he had to walk by floating and use six limbs to manipulate things. The tentacles repeatedly escaped his control.

Slade decided to start from the beginning. He retracted five of the tentacles and left only one, and began to move it about like a snake, making a hissing sound of his own to emphasize the point. Pres. Rara and Mitsuki Rara laughed, while Ms. Hayase shook her head.

As the test proceeded, Slade extended another tentacle and flexed it about. With concentration, he was now able to move them synchronously, both rhythmically swaying in the same direction, like a huge metronome. Slade then retracted the tentacles and concentrated on firing the beam and high-energy bullet, working on his aim.

Ms. Hayase was glad that they were at least testing this, but its destructive powers were confirming her worst fears. She rechecked his Life Sympathy figures, and shook her head. The figures weren't perfectly stable, but he was not anywhere near a danger zone. This robot would work, and nothing could stand against it.

It was some weeks after this test that Mitsuki Rara approached Slade. She firmly told him, "Slade, I'm impressed with how well you've been doing in the simulators lately. Still, that much solo training may not be good for you. You need better enemies than what our artificial intelligence programs can come up with."

Slade sensed that this wasn't an idle conversation, but an order. "Of course, Commander," he responded.

She frowned, and her voice was pained. "I'm not in uniform. I'm Mitsuki now. Not Ms. Rah."

This particular dialogue had occurred several times now, which was probably why she seemed irritated by it. Fortunately for the young lady, this conversation finally hammered it into Kent's brain that he ought to call her Mitsuki. Her reasoning for this differentiation of modes of address was opaque to him, and he was determined to observe this aspect of RaRa Army honorifics more closely in the future. "Of course, Mitsuki," Kent attempted.

"That's better," she sighed in relief. "You'll be simulating a battle against myself and Alice, Mena, and Ryla in about half an hour."

If Mitsuki Rara wanted to handle this informally, Kent decided the time was right to venture a joke. "That should give me enough time to polish your trophy," was his extemporaneous crack.

"I'm giving you a simulated golden Himc: the outcome isn't that certain!" she chuckled.

Mitsuki Rara reappraised him. Her parents had claimed he had some liveliness, but whenever she had been able to observe Slade, he'd been rather dour. Perhaps it was the strain of being cut off from familiar things.

"Mitsuki," Slade voiced, "I'm sorry about calling you Commander. You are my commanding officer; it just seemed disrespectful to call you anything but Commander."

She frowned again, saying softly yet accusingly, "I did mention it to you several times." It just wasn't right to ignore people's requests, as though they'd never been made.

"That was my fault, not accepting that," Slade fidgeted, his inflection rife with embarrassment.

"It's all right," Mitsuki Rara told him, "I appreciate your calling me Commander when I'm Ms. Rah. When I'm not Ms. Rah, though, please think of me as Mitsuki."

Slade still didn't understand, but wanted to make the situation right. "Of course, Mitsuki," he nodded to her.

She smiled and thanked him. Both she and Slade were relieved that the question of her nomenclature and the situation was finally resolved.

In half an hour's time, Slade found himself in a rather larger simulator room than he was used to: one which contained multiple simulators.

"We won't go easy on you just because you're new," warned Ryla, attempting to keep up a serious front, but grinning uncontrollably. She and Mena broke down and giggled.

"You're goin' down!" yelled Alice in English, who seemed to be the most bloodthirsty of his opponents.

Several weeks ago, Slade had been unsurprised to learn that the trio was trained synchronously: all three of them simultaneously piloted one robot. It was a new innovation that would be included in the new model of RaRa robots, the jewel-cannons. Kent supposed their job was really tough, having to have all three of them not interfere with each other.

"Everyone, please do your best. This is important training," were Mitsuki Rara's final words before Ms. Hayase began the simulation.

As they had all been informed, Slade would be in a simulated Himc, Mitsuki Rara would be in a virtual Earth Defense Force Core Robot, and the trio would pilot a single simulacrum of a RaRa Army jewel-cannon robot. Mitsuki and the trio were allied against Slade, which again impressed itself onto his mind as he caught sight of their robots opposing him. He only took a moment to appreciate the well-rendered cityscape that was their battleground.

He carefully observed the movements of the jewel-cannon robot. It was humanoid, a distinct departure for the RaRa Army. Its popular name was derived from two purple orbs mounted on the front of its shoulders, which could discharge powerful purple beams at foes. Slade wasn't certain of most of its other capabilities.

Mitsuki Rara had for some reason been placed inside the white Core Robot, the one Slade had briefly piloted. He wondered if it was fate or a joke. It carried a machine gun in its right hand.

Slade made the first move, firing the high-energy bullet at the jewel-cannon robot. Unfortunately, it was agile, and managed to evade the shot. As this failure occurred, the simulacrum of the white robot sprinted forward and opened fire as soon as it was in range.

The bullets were largely absorbed by the golden sheath encapsulating Himc, but he noted with distress that one of the tentacles was damaged, for they were mounted on the outside of the sheath and constituted part of it.

Ms. Hayase was surprised at what had just occurred, rechecking several data sources. Both Himcs were equipped with defensive shields, the power of which could easily repel far stronger hits than that. How did that hit occur? Ms. Hayase then noted that Himc's shields were offline. "Did you forget to raise your shields, Slade?" Ms. Hayase asked teasingly.

"Oh yeah," was the guilty response Slade offered through the comm system. "Thanks."

"Uhoh, she's on his side!" remarked Mena. "We're doomed: you're running the simulation!" she mockingly accused.

Slade was strafing to evade the white core robot's machine gun and returning fire with his own beam weapon. Unfortunately, the stress of the combined action made him lose concentration on his shields, which tended to get turned off for several awkward seconds.

In the meantime, the jewel-cannon robot had flanked Himc. It tore into him with sustained purple beams.

"Boo-yah!" exclaimed Alice triumphantly, causing Slade to double over with laughter. Such self-aggrandizing invective was the antithesis of that slip of a girl.

Distractions such as these had finally resulted in damage to Himc's cocoon, and one of its arms was nearly severed. Slade's strafing was of limited effect, for he was simply too big a target. He had to move a vast distance to strafe, where Mitsuki Rara or the trio had only to move their weapons a small amount to retarget him. Himc was the broadside of a barn as far as target area was concerned: it needed those shields for protection. Slade was certain that strafing could still help, but it wouldn't help all the time.

Slade now had a plan, and he only hoped the damage he had sustained was not too great. He concentrated on maintaining his shields, which easily repulsed their fire, but intentionally flickered them to create the illusion he still couldn't remember them. Both robots had drawn relatively close to Himc. Slade began to strafe until the jewel-cannon robot was at his back and the Core Robot was at his front, then darted to the side of the Core Robot. Both robots reacted with admirable swiftness, ceasing their attack to prevent friendly fire. Slade fired his beam twice, exactly decapitating and halving the Core Robot, leaving its simulated cockpit intact but the rest of the robot ruined.

That was the moment when the jewel-cannon robot leapt atop Himc and fired at point-blank range. Slade had totally forgotten his shields during his attack, allowing the trio this perch. Slade flailed the uninjured tentacles of Himc, but thinking his enemy was standing behind his back, struck there first. By the time his tentacles reached the enemy, Himc had been disabled. As Slade's robot simulated a great fall, the trio's robot leapt to the skyscraper it had used as a stepladder to reach the heights of Himc.

"Hooray! Eat my dust!" rejoiced Alice, resulting in yet another bellyful of laughter for Slade.

"Congratulations, Slade. I suppose I'll be polishing your trophy," proffered Mitsuki Rara.

"After he polishes our trophy! Girls rule and boys drool!" insisted Alice.

"Your trash-talk is worse than your bite!" Slade reparteed. Everyone descended into uncontrollable hilarity.

"As you can see, I was totally fair in that match," Ms. Hayase told them as she wiped away a tear born of mirth.

"Only joking!" hastily replied Mena.

"I know," reassured Ms. Hayase. "I was too."

Ryla was elated at their victory. She had loved the jewel-cannon robot as soon as they had begun to train in its simulator, and now they had managed their first victory in it, albeit virtual. It had a lot of good qualities, and Ryla was more sure than ever before that it would be among the best robots the RaRa Army ever used. Even better, she figured that Mrs. Nanjyoin and Cmdr. Sanada probably couldn't come up with anything to counter the jewel-cannon robot.

* * *

Mrs. Nanjyoin looked about her at the Core Robot armory in the base of the Earth Defense Force, nodding to herself. The commander was right to be proud of the new armaments that had been delivered, but as usual, he was more proud than a normal human being: he was agog over the technological capabilities of the weapons. She did her best to make allowances for him, and so said nothing.

Cmdr. Sanada allowed himself a brief peal of maniacal laughter before he remarked to Mrs. Nanjyoin and Inspector Akane Yamano, "The RaRa Army has no idea what they'll be up against next time." Inspector Yamano looked askance at him. Dr. Sanada continued talking to himself, "They won't know what to do when we counterattack with our new weapons," and began to laugh again.

Inspector Yamano wondered what was the matter with him. The new weapons were just grenade launchers, after all. It wasn't something worth behaving so dramatically about.


	19. Interlude 9

Interlude 9

The day after Kazuki and many others had stepped in Zinv's cockpit for testing, Dr. Sanada talked to Kazuki.

"Kazuki, we're very grateful to you for letting us experiment on Zinv all the time. It's really quite necessary, I assure you. Without any other pieces of artifact technology in this world, he's the only source of information we have that might help us to get into outer space. His power supply," he began to pace and mutter strangely, "if we could only make one of our own with even a quarter of its power, we could have an awesome engine for our starship. Then, there's also his ability to move through dimensions, like he did just before the worlds merged. That might be the key to moving faster than light!"

"Uncle," Kazuki said, somewhat used to his uncle's bizarre moods, "Zinv and I don't mind the experimentation at all. We want to visit outer space too."

"Thank you," his uncle told him. "Unfortunately, there's not a lot of pilots we can call on to test it. I should say we don't trust many pilots to use Zinv responsibly."

Mitsuki Sanada had entered the room in an apron and was dusting. Dr. Sanada continued, "The ones we do trust are busy most of the time, including you, Kazuki. So we need some way for there to be a pilot who can use Zinv a great deal of the time, so we can get a lot of tests done. Our progress into space is limited by the rate at which we get that data faster."

Kazuki suggested with a smile, "I'll just pilot the robot all day and not go to school, Uncle!"

Dr. Sanada laughed. "An excellent idea!"

Mitsuki Sanada glared at them both. Kazuki shrugged, "I was just joking." Unappeased, she returned to her dusting.

"We could have someone who's already there pilot Zinv," Dr. Sanada opined, winking at Kazuki. He desperately wanted to be the one picked to operate Zinv.

"Dad," Mitsuki Sanada reasoned, "if you or Dr. Rara is the one to pilot it, all the two of you will do is argue about whether the other is stealing it and trying to take over the world again. You'll never get anything done and then Kazuki will never get to visit outer space."

At this juncture, Dr. Rara entered the room. He had just used his spare key on the door moments ago. After recent events, he did not feel comfortable using the doorbell, despite assurances that it was fixed.

Dr. Rara countered Mitsuki's last statement thusly, "We only bicker when you kids are around, to keep up appearances. When we have honest disagreements, we use straightforward debate tactics and provable facts."

Akane's voice was carried to them on the winds from several rooms away. "Such as, 'Sanada, that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. Kazuki will never pick you. He lives in your house; he knows you're a maniac and would break poor Zinv to pieces.'"

The scientists glanced awkwardly at each other. Kazuki put his hand over his mouth to hide a grin. Mitsuki Sanada chuckled softly. When Akane had overheard the argument she was quoting, Dr. Rara and Dr. Sanada had thought she looked more disgusted than usual, but they had no idea she was so put out by their conduct.

"Or perhaps," Akane continued, "you're thinking of 'Rara, if you think Kazuki will pick you to pilot Zinv, then you're an idiot. You're always an idiot, you'd just be a bigger idiot.'"

Kazuki wasn't having much success suppressing his laughter. Mitsuki Sanada was only somewhat more capable at hiding her amusement.

Both scientists could tell that some damage control was required if either was to have any chance of piloting Zinv. Perhaps reminding Kazuki of their bonds of brotherhood would help. Both tried to clap Kazuki on the shoulder while saying "Kazuki," in a voice of fraternal affection, but as they were both aiming for the same shoulder, they only clapped each other.

Now Mitsuki Sanada doubled over with laughter, and Kazuki gave up all pretense of gravity. Dee had seen this last attempt to flatter Kazuki, and giggled as well.

Once all three could breathe again, Kazuki had an inspiration. "Hey!" he cried. "We need someone to pilot Zinv when I'm not around, a person who's often at the lab. Why not Ms. Hayase!"

Everyone was surprised.

"Can she even pilot a robot?" Dr. Sanada asked in some confusion. Then he realized he had a source of information standing next to him. "Hey, Rara," he asked, "what were her life sympathy stats?"

"I don't know," Dr. Rara admitted, "we never tested her while she was on my side. I thought your people would've tested her when she was on your side."

"We didn't, no," Dr. Sanada remembered.

"None of you know if Ms. Hayase is a pilot?" Dee asked.

"Well, I hired her in her capacity as a scientist," Dr. Rara told them undefensively. "It honestly never occurred to me."

"I didn't realize it myself," Dr. Sanada agreed. "Kazuki, are you sure she's interested?"

"You could ask her," Kazuki replied. "I trust her with Zinv." He had found out long ago that Ms. Hayase was an enthusiast for giant robots as much as he was, but he considered it a confidence between them. Kazuki was trying to suggest her without revealing the secret, because he felt certain that she would like piloting a giant robot.

* * *

Kazuki's selection of a pilot had panned out well. Kaoru Hayase had agreed with embarrassment, alacrity, and joy to the initial tests of her piloting ability. To everyone's astonishment, including Ms. Hayase, and Kazuki when he heard of it, she registered a 66 life sympathy score in her first trial.

"I guess you've got the job," Dr. Rara had said, and she replied happily, "Thank you, sir."

Dr. Sanada used the control to retract the roof of the island lab, and both men scurried around the control room, making sure data was being recorded, and starting preliminary analyses. When the roof was retracted, they both concurred that Ms. Hayase's life sympathy was still stable and that it was safe for her to start walking in Zinv.

Slowly, she ordered Zinv to rise to his feet. This was the first time she had ever piloted any sort of robot, and she savored every moment of it. She took a first step, getting a feel for the robot, then another step and another step. She had now walked out of its hangar and was in the open.

"What now, sirs?" Ms. Hayase inquired.

"How about a standard robot practice routine from the old days?" suggested Dr. Rara.

"Yes," Dr. Sanada nodded, "start running forward."

As she did so, Dr. Rara sputtered, "What! The first practice maneuver is jumping in place!"

"Are you a complete idiot, Rara!" Dr. Sanada shot back. "It's always been running! Then skimming forward rapidly-"

"Skimming! My robots can't-" Dr. Rara said in confusion.

"Your robots were inferior!" Dr. Sanada announced triumphantly.

Ms. Hayase stopped the robot awkwardly, having run a good distance. She was not very used to piloting yet, and decided to wait out the argument by trying small motions.

"Your robots were copies, and mine were originals! Yours were the inferior robots! Oh, your stupidity in using copies against me!" Dr. Rara decried his former adversaries' choice of combat units. "We ought to use the RaRa Army standard practice routine, which clearly calls for jumping in place at this time."

"Well, we're using the Earth Defense Force practice routine this time, since our copies beat your whole army!" Dr. Sanada yelled.

Ms. Hayase knew the retort that came next like the back of Zinv's hand.

"And we're doing things my way," Dr. Rara retorted, "because my army was only trying to preserve world peace, and I'm still smarter than you are!"

"Well, since she's already done the running, I suppose we could try the jumping," Dr. Sanada decided. "And you weren't trying to preserve world peace," he swiftly alluded to Dr. Rara's earlier statement.

Ms. Hayase began to jump in place. After several repetitions, everyone decided to make Zinv sprint across some distance. There was a tiny valley Ms. Hayase hadn't seen, and she tripped over it.

"Are you all right?" both doctors asked.

"Yes, both myself and all the systems are fine," Ms. Hayase responded. "Zinv hasn't taken any damage."

Her first test ended with a successful return to Zinv's hangar, and there were many other successful piloting runs in the days after that.

* * *

"I'm glad she's doing so well. She's been so happy lately," Mitsuki Rara commented at a Sanada household supper.

"Ms. Hayase's very fortunate," noted Yayoi, "to be able to pilot the only giant robot remaining in this world as part of her duties."

Kazuki found time to say, between mouthfuls of the three dinners made for him, "It's too bad we can't watch her piloting it, or help her."

"I am not able to teach her directly," Yayoi said, "but I have been instructing her as best I can without simulators or the ability to spend a great deal of time with her."

"The results of your efforts are showing," Dr. Sanada informed them. "We're getting more and more information about Zinv's power source with every test, and she's getting better at piloting it."

He suddenly looked at Akane. "Hey, do you want to try piloting? We've never measured your life sympathy either!"

"Thank you," Akane replied sincerely and certainly, "but I would rather not. Piloting a giant robot is not a prospect I enjoy enough to do the work required for success."

* * *

Within another week, Ms. Hayase and the doctors adjudged that she had gained enough skill to begin more strenuous maneuvers in Zinv, to see how the power generator reacted. She learned combat maneuvers because they were the only high-power maneuvers anyone could remember making a giant robot do. Kicking and punching were fairly easy. Controlling local gravity to crush objects in Zinv's fists, one of Zinv's unique abilities, was achieved after some pointers from Kazuki and Yayoi.

After a great deal of deliberation, they decided that Ms. Hayase would use Zinv's ranged weapon, the gravitational shell. Kazuki would be needed to access Zinv's more power-draining activities, but they needed the intermediate-range data that using the gravitational shells could provide, and Ms. Hayase could use them.

She carefully aimed Zinv's arm into the water and successfully fired the shell. As the glowing blue shell entered the ocean, there was a glow as it transferred its energy to the water, just as it was supposed to. The water shot into the air, rippled, frothed, and boiled. Small particles of it refracted a rainbow. Kaoru Hayase stared at the vista with a wordless, calm, contented smile.

* * *

During the next few weeks, she kept practicing and practicing, growing better and better. There were still other tests to be done, more data to be gathered, and she worked tirelessly to perfect her ability to control the giant robot. Everyone was now certain that Ms. Kaoru Hayase was indeed an excellent pilot. 


	20. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Sitting in the simulator chair some ten seconds after the joint simulation battle had concluded, Kent's emotions were not what he had expected. He had expected to be more upset at losing the match, but instead he felt strangely happy.

Kent hadn't realized it until now, but he had been growing bored with just running a simulator all day. This experience was fun, fun he hadn't had in some time.

"Well fought, everyone," congratulated Kent. "I don't suppose we could have another?"

"To make it fair," announced Ayuko as she strode into the room and stood behind Ms. Hayase, "I shall join Slade's team."

"Glad to have you aboard, ma'am," replied Kent through the speaker grille on Ms. Hayase's desk.

"Hello, mother," was Mitsuki Rara's demure yet warm greeting. "We weren't expecting you, but we're glad you could join us."

"Are you sure you want to come between a mother and her daughter, Slade?" Ryla mischievously mused aloud.

"I have nothing to lose: I have no interest in the family car," quipped Kent.

"Family helicopter," slyly corrected Ayuko as she seated herself in another simulator. Kent and the trio chuckled appreciatively: the Raras were very rich indeed. She appeared on the field of honor as the blue Core Robot. Himc and the white Core Robot were miraculously reconstituted, and the miscellaneous damage upon the other robot was healed. The environment then shifted as Ms. Hayase began the simulation anew.

"Whoever wins should do the dishes for a month!" bet Alice. "Uh, you know, I mean..." she corrected, and then trailed off in embarrassment.

"Then I'm taking a fall," declared Kent, pretending her correction hadn't occurred.

The setting was now a beach area, dotted with occasional expensive homes.

"Not into la mer, I trust," was Ayuko's response to Kent's last entry in the battle of wits.

"Touche! But, s'il vout plait, I'd rather not lose this match," suggested Kent as he chortled at her funny.

"Then you get the white robot and I'll get those naughty girls," recommended Ayuko as she sped towards her target.

"Mother!" declaimed Mitsuki Rara with feigned shock. "To suggest this ravening wolf annihilate your daughter! And a second time, too!"

Kent fired his beam weapon upon the white robot, but had not yet advanced quite far enough into range. "Ravening wolf, nice imagery. But flattery will get you nowhere," commented Kent.

"Never fear, Mitsuki!" announced the bravado of Ryla. "We're here to help!"

The jewel-cannon robot had evaded Ayuko and was moving towards Himc on a tangent. Ayuko wheeled to pursue it, growled in frustration, and fired frantically in its direction. Several of the bullets hit Himc's shields by mistake.

"Why thank you!" Mena chirped with sarcasm. "You're too kind!"

"It's great we get along so well even as we rip each other to shreds," offered Kent. His beam tagged one of the large sheaths overlaying the jewel-cannon robot's shoulders. He attacked it because Mitsuki Rara had peeled off towards the blue Core Robot, and was farther from him than the jewel-cannon robot. Purple beams from the trio's robot lanced into Kent, but his shields were up and they were repulsed.

The tentacles of Himc rapidly arced out of the cocoon and assembled themselves in front of Himc. They began to wave and meander before the eye, each tentacle taking a random path different from every other tentacle. The trio attempted to fire upon the tentacles, hoping to strike them outside the shield. The tentacles' sinuous undulations frustrated their aim and clouded their perception of Himc's next move.

The jewel-cannon robot was too far from Himc to jump upon it or grapple it, but Himc was within tentacle's reach of the jewel-cannon robot. The tentacles suddenly sprang upon the jewel robot, a tentacle clutching an arm, another tentacle clutching a leg, four tentacles latching onto the limbs before a thought could pass. Each of the four tentacles pulled, and in five seconds the jewel-cannon robot was drawn and quartered.

Mitsuki and Ayuko Rara, deep within their own private duel, simultaneously gasped at what had transpired in Himc's victory. Alice's eyes were wide with surprise, and she said nothing for several minutes. Ms. Hayase stared in horror at her screen, terrified by her sudden conception of the raw power the world was now threatened with. Ryla, after several moments, shrugged and said with resignation, "You certainly won that round, Slade."

Mitsuki Rara sent a simulated callsign and explained, "Neither the Earth Defense Force nor the RaRa Army usually fights when the odds are like this. Well done, everyone."

Kent's elation was like a field of fire encompassing him, and he gave thanks to heaven audibly. Three straight weeks of practice it had cost him to accomplish that feat. The execution appeared effortless, as it should appear for a technique mastered, but the determination and gritted teeth of practice were what was needed to reach that point. It was no secret power he had, and certainly not as impressive or potent as magic. That maneuver was simply his mental instructions to move the robot in a certain way. Perhaps, he admitted to himself, it was even an obvious move, and one that could be easily countered once its surprise wore off. Nevertheless, the praise of his comrades maintained the burning of joy in his bones.

"What was that move?" Mena asked with voice in awe.

Kent grinned with properly humble pride, and spoke:

"I call it the Hydra."


	21. Interlude 10

Interlude 10

The college at which Dr. Sanada worked hosted its own annual aeronautics and astronautics research conference, and both he and Dr. Rara had been among the interested attendees. Both of them had always enjoyed attending these conferences in the past because of their love for the idea of exploring outer space, and colonizing it if possible. Zinv's advanced technology gave them an opportunity to do exactly that, and their interest had turned professional.

Neither of the doctors wanted to miss the fancy dress party after the conference. Akane wanted to miss it, as she had the conference, but Ken had been so enthusiastic about it that she didn't want to ruin his fun by staying home. She also knew that Ken and Dr. Rara wanted to impress the scientists here, and she hoped that her presence might possibly contain their arguing or crazy theorizing.

Ayuko was enjoying herself, wearing an expensive and extravagant dress, pearls, and many other items of jewelry. Many of the items were ones Akane had never before seen in her sister's posession, and she knew what that meant for those unfortunate enough to engage her in conversation.

"Well, Rara," Dr. Sanada restrained himself from calling him an idiot, "this may be our big chance. We need talent like this to design and make the spacecraft."

"Of course we do, Sanada," Dr. Rara somehow managed to use his name instead of stupid. "This is where we can find the most knowledgeable persons in the field. I always say to hire the best and not worry about the cost."

"I'm not worrying about the cost either, since this is coming out of your money," Dr. Sanada smirked.

Dr. Rara surprisingly did not get riled. "It's my money, but our endeavour."

With that, they met a faculty member of the college. Dr. Sanada quickly introduced the man to the rest of the party. The unfortunate fellow made his fatal mistake when he complimented Ayuko on her jewelry.

"Why thank you," Ayuko was talking in a continuous purr. "I only just got them recently. One of my best purchasing experiences yet. This necklace is adorable, but I think it was overpriced. There never are any sales when you want to go shopping, are there? They wanted twice as much as it was worth. Of course, I usually don't take advantage of sales because usually they involve last year's fashions. This dress, though, is the very latest, even though I had to pay an exorbitant amount and the fabric..."

Akane liked clothes and jewelry herself, but her older sister had a tendency to talk the subject to death. It was awful to watch the subject himself as he realized what a trap he had gotten into with the compliment. Neither she nor her husband nor Ayuko's husband could unclench the trap now, so they stood there, making good use of patience learned in earlier, similar situations.

"Akane, were you with me then?" Ayuko asked her little sister, having come to a point in her story that she couldn't remember.

"This was a few weeks ago, wasn't it?" Akane asked, and Ayuko nodded. "Ayuko, I haven't been shopping with you for five months." As far as Akane was concerned, it wasn't nearly long enough. Ayuko's shopping expeditions ought to be packaged and sold as endurance workouts, Akane thought to herself.

"Oh, now I recall, it was when you and everyone were out at the island, for that test of the robot," Ayuko said.

"Test of a robot?" the faculty member asked desperately, hoping against hope that the shopping monologue could now be avoided. Unfortunately, before he could utter another word, Ayuko continued, "I nearly cried to have to return that bracelet I bought then, but the clasp was just so poorly made that it wouldn't fasten. Those clasps oughtn't to be made, they all ought to be the best kind of clasps, which are the..."

Dr. Rara nudged Dr. Sanada urgently and nodded into the distance. Following his gaze, Dr. Sanada nodded at Dr. Rara. Knowing perfectly well that there was no way to get Ayuko to stop, they bowed slightly and left, Akane matching them move for move. The faculty member was beyond their power to help.

The doctors and Akane walked towards their prime candidate for astronautical engineer of their project. Dr. Rara had managed to spot him only moments ago when he nudged Dr. Sanada.

Dr. Warai, the counterpart to Kent's advisor, turned to meet them. He recognized them instantly from previous years. "Good evening," he greeted them cordially, and they returned his welcome. He looked at their number with concern. "Dr. Rara, I trust your wife is feeling well?" he solicited.

"Yes, thank you. She's over there," Dr. Rara reassured him, and then noticed that his wife and the faculty member were gone. Then he spotted his wife mingling elsewhere, and the faculty member clinging to a different large group of people. He had made a miraculous escape, and knew it well.

Akane mentioned, "My husband always enjoys your presentation, Dr. Warai, and this year was another success, he tells me."

"Oh, yes, it was excellent," both Dr. Rara and Dr. Sanada agreed simultaneously.

Dr. Warai chuckled slightly. "It always is a pleasure to have your approval, doctors," he told them, "but I can't take all the credit myself. My graduate students always help out a lot, and I've got a new one who's very promising." Dr. Warai looked about briefly, saw the promising student coming to join him, then said in a stage whisper, "Stop talking about him behind his back! His face is fine!" When the person arrived, he said in a voice full of pride, "I don't believe you've met my student Kent Slade!"

Kent had walked up with a glass. He knew perfectly well that his advisor had meant him to hear the comment about his face, and returned dryly, "Yes, my face was scarred in childhood by a horrible accident involving rabid lab rats."

His face was clearly unmarked, so Kent and all three doctors promptly guffawed. Akane simply stood there. That joke was horrifying and bizarre, not funny.

"Hello, ma'am," Kent greeted her. She responded, "Hello, Mr. Slade." He turned to Dr. Warai, "In a way, sir, I've actually met all of them, though not formally."

"You didn't tell me!" Dr. Warai complained.

"It was in the course of my handyman job, and I had no idea you knew them," Kent explained.

"I certainly remember," Dr. Rara massaged his finger though it was completely healed, "but we ought to introduce you properly," Dr. Rara decided. "I'm Dr. Hiroshi Rara, candidate for the Nobel Prize for Physics. This is my brother-in-law," he indicated Dr. Sanada, "a nobody with derivative ideas, and-"

Dr. Sanada pushed forward. "I'm Dr. Ken Sanada," he proclaimed, "and I'm the leading candidate for the Nobel Prize for Physics. You've met my wife Akane-"

"I'm the leading candidate for the Prize!" Dr. Rara snorted.

"Pleased to meet you both," Kent interjected before anyone else was cut off. "I noticed some construction in the lot next door to you, Dr. Sanada," he continued. "Is there going to be a new house there?"

Dr. Rara grimaced, while Dr. Sanada smirked and quipped, "No, they're still removing the rubble that was Dr. Rara's house. Of course, all his plans end in his own destruction."

Dr. Rara retorted, "Oh yeah? Well, I've still got an island laboratory, a house on the island, and a townhouse near you. What have you got?"

Dr. Warai frowned. "I've been meaning to ask you about that, Dr. Sanada. It was just difficult to know how to phrase it. There've been a lot of rumors about the destruction of that house next door to you."

Dr. Sanada leaned toward Dr. Warai. "Do you want to know how it happened?" he asked fervently.

Dr. Rara stepped closer as well. "We've been wanting to ask you something too. It's a great secret that could change our destiny as a species!" he passionately informed him.

Slade was unmoved by the theatricals. "I could leave, if you like," he offered.

Akane fixed her gaze on him. "Mr. Slade, as you're a student of his, and a promising one, we'd like you to stay. This offer applies to you as well, and I think you'll be very interested in the benefits."

The ground vibrated slightly, people stepped about nervously: then the motion ceased. There was a slight hesitant murmur in the crowds, and then everything returned to normal. Kent had been completely still, and now drummed the fingers of his free hand on his leg as he announced, "3 on the Richter scale."

"I'll bet you lunch that it's only 2.9," Dr. Warai offered.

"No thanks, doctor," Kent replied firmly. "I had a lot of experience with earthquakes back in California," he explained to the others. "Although I'm sure you're all much more familiar with them than I am. Dr. Warai likes to make a big deal of this for some reason."

"You say it like an oracle from the gods," Dr. Warai pointed out.

Kent mimicked his tone of voice as he had announced the scale: "Granted."

After yet more laughter, Dr. Warai returned to business and cautiously spoke, "Is it possible for you to tell me this secret before I make any commitments?"

Akane replied, "I think that'd be best, don't you?" She and Dr. Rara and Dr. Sanada looked at each other a moment, then Dr. Rara told them, "All right. This is rather important, though. What if we got everyone together to talk this over?" Noting Akane's concern, he modified, "Well, everyone who can make it on a school day."

Dr. Warai and Kent exchanged a startled glance.

"Yes, Dr. Warai, if you, Mr. Slade, and any other of your graduate students you trust can come and meet us, that'd be wonderful," Akane continued.

"Who would we be meeting?" Dr. Warai inquired mildly.

Akane eyed them all seriously and stated, "Myself, Dr. Sanada, Dr. Rara, Ayuko, and Mrs. Nanjyoin."

Dr. Warai nodded, impressed by the last name.

She had foresightedly gotten from Mrs. Nanjyoin times that she would be available. Mrs. Nanjyoin had also made available one of her corporate meeting rooms for them all to meet in. All of them agreed upon one of the times Akane had listed.

Kent took out his personal digital assistant so he could record the appointment. Dr. Sanada, Dr. Rara, and Akane stared at it. Kent thought it was simple interest in technology, but Dr. Warai thought there was something else behind their interest. Kent placed his hand upon a small button, and a holographic interface was projected a short distance above the device. He rubbed the device with broad sweeping motions of his hand, guided by the holographic display, recording the appointment in just a few strokes, and then turned the device off. Noting the stares were continuing, he joked, "Nothing up my sleeve, and presto, I make it disappear." He placed it carefully in one of his pockets. This time even Akane laughed.

"Wow, that's a really neat device!" Dr. Sanada enthused. "Maybe we should get one for Kazuki!"

Kent considered. "I think he'd like it, but it is a bit expensive, being the latest model. How are Kazuki, Dee, and the Mitsukis? Oh, and Mrs. Nanjyoin?"

"They're all quite well, thank you," Akane thanked him.

"We don't want to keep you all to ourselves," Dr. Rara suggested, "so I suppose we'd best meet some other people."

"We'll see you at the meeting," Dr. Warai and Kent offered.

When they were a safe distance away, Akane, Dr. Rara, and Dr. Sanada looked at each other meaningfully.

"It looks a lot like the device Kazuki's father found at the construction site," Dr. Sanada reminisced.

"I remember similar hand interface technology being in that stone pyramid in my garden on the RaRa island, integrated into a design with a lot of circles," Dr. Rara reminisced. "I managed to figure out some principles of its operation, and for a while I had some people working on duplicating it before, uhhh." He didn't finish his sentence: they all knew it was before he ran away and started the RaRa Army.

Dr. Warai and Kent were standing together some distance away.

Kent patted the pocket where his personal digital assistant was quiescent. "There is some point to their wonder," he mused aloud. "I hadn't thought we had developed the technology for holographic interfaces. At least not so portably, and cheaply and reliably enough to be mass-produced. Yet here they are, ready before their time. It is a marvel."

"What do you think about the meeting?" Dr. Warai asked Kent.

"I think they're overly enthusiastic," Kent coolly commented, "perhaps even crazy. What do they have that's so important and worth so much secrecy? This is outer space we're talking about: uncharted territory. Nobody has any hidden shortcuts. People like us are just going to have to build the technology to get us there, in baby steps. They probably just want to hire us to round off some aerospace startup."

Dr. Warai shook his head, and talked at what for him was a moderate speed. "If they were starting a company, they'd want to make their company as well known as possible, especially to people like us. In all the years I've known them, they've never said anything about starting a corporation. Mrs. Nanjyoin runs businesses, but she's a friend of the family, and I think her capacity in this meeting is just as a friend. I imagine she'd insist on advertising if there were a business in the making. Name recognition is the life blood of a corporation."

Kent shrugged, granting his advisor the point.

"Haven't you heard the rumors about how that house got destroyed?" Dr. Warai continued, his words issuing rapidly. "They say that a huge android swam out of the ocean, shot across the land, and crashed right into that house! Now what if they have something like that? Something that really could get us out into space!"

Kent looked at Dr. Warai askance. "If I remember my science fiction correctly, giant androids from space usually arrive to destroy the planet, not transport us to space. Rumors are pointless to listen to. Tabloids are full of rumors, all extremely false and therefore useless."

He fell silent as he contemplated Dr. Sanada and Dr. Rara. The college had very few rumors about either of them, a fact for which he was extremely glad.

"I'll go to the meeting," Kent finally said, "despite their odd claims. At least I said I would go after hearing them act crazy, and didn't commit myself before they made crazy claims. I'm not going to set my expectations very high."

"I agree; we must be resolute in the face of disappointment," his advisor agreed.

Dr. Warai and Kent were joined by Narayanan.

"Good evening, Narayanan," Dr. Warai greeted him.

"How are you doing?" Kent asked of him.

"Good evening to you as well. How am I doing? Very well, thank you," Narayanan responded to them both.

"What are you doing here: this is the wrong discipline!" Dr. Warai teased him. "Your department's party is next month!"

Narayanan smiled at them. "What I am doing here is my own scientific observations. I wanted to observe how you space people enjoy yourselves. This is more lively than I thought."

"Tonight is one of the better parties," Dr. Warai told him, looking around the crowd. He noted that Ayuko was now moving towards them. He whispered simultaneously in the ears of Narayanan and Kent, "You must not mention clothes or jewelry to her!"

Ayuko now joined their threesome, and Dr. Warai hailed her, "Good evening to you! I'd like you to meet Narayanan, one of the graduate students here. Ayuko Rara is the wife of Dr. Rara, the dimensional physicist."

"How nice to meet you," Ayuko told Narayanan.

"The pleasure is mine," he returned.

"This is Kent Slade," Dr. Warai continued, "my newest graduate student."

"How do you do?" Ayuko asked him.

"Very well, thank you, ma'am," Kent replied.

"Your husband just set up a meeting with me," Dr. Warai told Ayuko. "He was being mysterious about it. Can you tell me what we'll be talking about?"

An odd grin appeared upon her face. "Probably we'll be talking about your specialty. Interstellar travel, and colonization. I note that, after all these years of my pointing this out to you, you haven't yet answered the question of who will own those colonies."

Dr. Warai was unconcerned. "It's rather hard to deal with issues like that in a white paper. That's what I always tell you. There's another point: I'd rather leave decisions like that to the people of future generations. We won't be getting beyond the solar system anytime soon, and they'll be the ones who'll have to live with the consequences. Also," he smiled, "it's the core belief of every engineer that whenever anything terrible happens with technology we designed, it's the politicians' fault."

Kent laughed at that, and Narayanan chuckled. Ayuko's expression amplified until it was nearly smug. "The nations of the world may be warring over who owns colonies in space sooner than we think," she intoned, delighting in her crypticity.

No one could figure out anything to say, and it was in this state that Naoko Yoshi joined them for some mingling. After the round of introductions, she pontificated, "One of the things I like most about formal dress parties is the formal dress. I think everyone should wear it more often."

Dr. Warai, Kent, and Narayanan shared a stricken glance.

"I agree in many ways, my dear," Ayuko began to speak. "On the other hand, some of the latest designer fashions can be excellent attire in many situations, even in casual situations. Slade, I was just thinking that perhaps with some adjustments to the seams and sleeves, there are some informal summer clothes just out of Paris that could suit you well."

Slade kept mum. Many of the words she was saying were escaping his grasp of the Japanese language. The context indicated they had to do with fashion. He had very little idea of what she was saying about fashion, and cared about it even less. Ayuko certainly didn't need him to speak or care, as she continued that herself: "Yes, although really, custom ordering would be for the best. The colors that the line comes in through standard channels would not be apropos for summer informal footwear. You'd need to order it in a different color, and possibly acquire a hat as well. A tasteful birthstone ring could round out the ensemble, assuming the color balance is good. Of course, that all depends upon which style of shoe is being used, and the length of the sock..."

He had lived through this before, Dr. Warai reminded himself.


	22. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

The martial music ended, and Ms. Rah's image had faded from the screen, her announcement of a battle in two days' time completed.

Cmdr. Sanada cackled as he finished watching the trailer. "A whole month of nothing! You've gone soft and scared, Rara!" The commander tossed his insults at the blank screen. Lt. Yayoi Schwael had grown used to his moods, and waited patiently, thinking through the strategic considerations of the announced attack point.

"Your drills have been great, Yayoi," Cmdr. Sanada commented as he turned to her. He cackled again. "I can't wait until they break themselves on your students!"

"Thank you, sir. I share your confidence in our pilots," Yayoi saluted.

* * *

Ms. Rah hurriedly left the studio, and released herself from her trance as she returned to civilian clothing. Mitsuki Rara quickly removed the last of the makeup and proceeded to the beach, expecting to find Slade there.

Slade needed to be briefed, for things were moving quickly. Only this morning had her father decided upon this battle, because only last night was the first shipment of jewel-cannon robots delivered at long last. In the month since the first multiple-person battle simulation, Slade had been integrated with the group, and all of them became better pilots through continued virtual battles with each other. Slade would not be able to participate in the fight, since Himc was still undergoing final repairs, but he ought to know what was occurring; he was part of the team.

She knew she'd find Slade on the beach because that was where he said he'd be. He had mentioned that yesterday, just after he asked her for a break.

The beach, as Slade had been warned, was somewhat euphemistic. The artificial island had no sandy beaches; vegetation ran right down to the waterline. Here on the shore, Slade noted, was a massive group of mangroves. The climate was probably not proper for their growth, and he speculated that they had somehow been modified to withstand it. Kent Slade's wet and recumbent form was upon a shady patch of ground without upthrusting roots.

He was glad that he had been able to find swim trunks in the store on base, but was surprised by the fact that they were RaRa Army swim trunks, with the logo and color scheme of his uniform. Kent wondered whether such branding was weird or common to many modern armies.

Kent observed the horizon through the non-prescription lenses of his sunglasses from his original world, while the contact lenses he had bought in this world constantly bent light so he could see properly. He checked himself, but his sunscreen had properly shielded him from radiation.

It had taken Mitsuki Rara some minutes to find Slade in the mangrove forest, but now she had located him. Slade heard her moving through the loose earth and raised himself upon his elbows, then stood up, hailing her.

She called across to him in return, and a short time later was within conversational range.

"Did you enjoy your swim?" she asked, seeing some water still remaining upon him.

"Yes, thank you," Slade replied, "it was good to be able to do that after so long. It felt so good I was surprised more people don't do it!"

"It's a little cold for most people," Mitsuki Rara told him, "including me."

"Too bad," sighed Slade as he shook his head, "I thought you were going to join me!"

"Sorry to disappoint you," and she genuinely was sorry. "I thought you ought to know. My father has just announced that most of the other pilots will be fighting in two days."

"Two days," repeated Slade as he leaned back against a tree, his bare feet sliding a moment before they were able to brace him. "That is big news. And good news." He paused a moment as he both waited for her to say something and considered the ramifications of this news. As neither words nor thoughts of his own were forthcoming, he spoke, "Thanks for coming all this way to tell me about it."

"You're very welcome," she smiled. She looked to her left, through the last few mangroves and across the wide ocean. "It's really quite beautiful here. I don't come to this place very often. Usually I'm too busy with my duties. And with trailers." She examined the ground.

"I suppose you were doing one just now? For the battle that's soon?" Slade was trying to inquire carefully in what he suspected was a sensitive subject.

"As Ms. Rah, I was." She looked out to sea, clearly pained.

Slade thought it disturbing to have her confide doubts in him, again, even when they were unspoken. He spoke to assuage her fears, "That's war for you. Even the best of them have their setbacks and truly awful and evil actions, and just plain uncomfortable situations." Her eyes had swung back to look at him, but she seemed far from comfort. Slade felt inadequate to any further attempts at pep talks. He also successfully concealed his irritation that he had to be the one supplying them.

"I missed a perfect opportunity. Since you were busy with the trailer all morning, then I could've just snuck off and had my break without you knowing," Slade lamented in mock ruefulness.

This unexpected gag had a profound effect upon Mitsuki Rara, for she laughed profusely. Her eyes full of cheer, she bade him goodbye: "I'd better get back to the base. There's always so much work to be done before a battle."

"I'll stop slacking off in a while," said Slade, and they both laughed. She returned to the base.

Kent went for another swim.

* * *

Pres. Rara settled into his thronelike chair in his war room, two days later. He watched and listened with delight. Today, one of his secret weapons, the jewel-cannon robots, would be revealed. He had thrown them all into the battle today. A war that involved surrenders of territory and long pauses for both sides to repair their robots made holding forces in reserve largely useless. This way, he'd have that stupid Sanada outnumbered ten to one. If only Himc was ready, he'd have sent it into the fray as well. What force he had ought to be able to definitively crush Sanada despite its absence.

In the remote control piloting area, all three of the pilots controlling any given jewel-cannon robot sat back-to-back. All thirty such seating arrangements were lowered into cavities, until only a red light for each robot was above floor level. So long as that red light was on, that group's robot was active.

A mighty company of thirty jewel-cannon robots strode forward at the appointed hour. They searched the horizon for the enemy, peering both at the skyscrapers and the nearby dock area.

In the pilot's room, Kent lounged upon the couch. The screen in there was attuned to the vision of the robot the trio controlled, since they were the pilots Kent knew best apart from his own commander. There hadn't been time to install thirty screens in the room, even if seeing through the eyes of thirty robots at once would've been comprehensible.

* * *

"Rara's never used humanoids before this," Cmdr. Sanada muttered to himself as he watched the giant screen in his control room. "But, I bet it won't impact your strategy, will it, Yayoi?"

"I doubt it, sir," Lt. Yayoi Schwael responded with a shake of her head.

"Even if the strategy fails, your training will get them through the battle," Inspector Akane Yamano told Lt. Schwael.

"Thank you, ma'am," Lt. Schwael grinned tightly, thinking about how the combat to come might unfold, and what precautions to take and orders to give.

"Core Robots," ordered Cmdr. Sanada, "be careful of these new things, but get that battle won! Move in!"

* * *

What happened next happened very quickly, and was very hard to understand for everyone involved. Such is the nature of battle.

Core Robot Units 1, 2 and 3 broke from cover behind different skyscrapers. Units 1 and 2 dashed forward in wide arcs, around the company of RaRa robots. Simultaneously, Unit 3 ran directly ahead, towards the van of the jewel-cannon robots, firing while in motion. The jewel-cannon robots opened fire on the unit, causing some damage, but Unit 3 took shelter behind another skyscraper.

* * *

"We're taking terrible losses already!" Pres. Rara gaped at the screen.

* * *

"Those weapons-" gasped Mena from her seat, "they've never used them before!"

* * *

"Since when did Sanada get grenade launchers!" bellowed Ayuko beside her husband. He winced slightly, from both the sudden losses his tightly grouped forces were taking as Units 1 and 2 now ran forward and fired, and from the loudness in his ear.

* * *

Ms. Rah, from her position on the roof of a skyscraper very close to the battle zone, ordered the remaining RaRa robots to split into four groups. Each group would try to simultaneously hit the flanks of the Core Robots. They would use against the Core Robots the tactics used against them only minutes before.

Three jewel-cannon robots charged at Unit 1 down a relatively narrow street between two skyscrapers, while on Unit 1's other side a group of five jewel-cannon robots appeared. Unit 1 was trapped in that small street, but did not give up- it jumped in the air and fired its grenade launcher twice at the group of five RaRa robots. Unit 1 was pierced by a multiplicity of beams, disabled before it hit the ground with an awkward thud. The group of five robots, however, had been destroyed.

Five lights all over the remote control piloting area turned off.

Unit 2 had been pursued into the dock area by the groups of jewel-cannon robots assigned to it. The Core Robot was dodging around warehouses, firing and moving. It had taken severe damage to its arms, part of its head had been blown open, but its legs had not yet been touched. It ran nimbly and dealt destruction. Unit 3 came up to support Unit 2, and Ms. Rah had only seconds to turn around one group of her robots and send them to Unit 3's new destination.

* * *

Kent winced as he saw Unit 2 blow the right arm off of Ryla, Mena, and Alice's robot. His dismay at the fight's prospects found voice in a small moan.

* * *

"Twenty robots lost so far," Pres. Rara muttered to himself. "They can't manage another shipment for another three weeks at least."

Ayuko leaned towards her husband's ear and hissed, "Things can still turn around. Whatever else happens, we managed to disable that white robot. We may be able to get at least one more."

* * *

"He'll need some time to recoup his losses after this battle," remarked Inspector Yamano, with some satisfaction, but also some worry.

Yayoi knew what she meant, and completed the thought for her, "So he's going to try to hurt us and force us to spend a long time doing repairs." She ordered the Core Robots, "Fight your way to the pier! Once you're both there, cover each other."

* * *

"YAAH!" yelled Alice as the trio's robot attempted to both leap upon and shoot with beams the red Core Robot, Unit 2. They managed to score its shoulder deeply and nick its foot, but the Core Robot dodged before they could do more. It moved towards the pier, the damage to its foot slowing it down some. Some jewel-cannon robots attempted to hit it, but Unit 3 had already reached the pier and had a clear shot at the jewel cannon robots. D caused Unit 3's grenade launcher to fire with precision and eliminate three enemies as Ryla, Mena, and Alice took cover behind a warehouse. When Unit 3 had stopped firing, they poked their shoulders out and managed to strike Unit 2's legs again. The trio was forced to dash for different cover as D fired upon the warehouse.

D would've continued to attack them, but there were two jewel-cannon robots wading towards the pier. D evaded their beams and fired into the water. In the water, they were unable to dodge as well as they could on land, and they were destroyed. Unit 2 limped up to the pier and shot at other RaRa robots running towards them from the other direction, destroying one and damaging others. Those remaining dashed for cover.

* * *

"We're so close!" Cmdr. Sanada slammed his fist upon the console. "That idiot's only got four of his pretty new robots left!"

* * *

"The red one's done for!" Pres. Rara shouted. "Why can't we get it already! They can't last for long, exposed on that pier! Ms. Rah, order our units to attack while keeping their heads down!"

* * *

Ms. Rah faithfully relayed the order, "Fire on the enemy from cover!"

"Okay, Mitsuki," acknowledged Ryla. Alice, Mena, and Ryla all moved their robot so its head and shoulders just barely popped out from behind a building and fired on Unit 3's grenade launcher. It exploded, taking Unit 3's right hand and knocking the robot to the ground. "Take that!" yelled Mena. "You stole my line! What am I going to say now?" Alice pouted in frustration.

Other RaRa robots popped their heads up, but Unit 2 had seen where they were hiding and dispatched two robots when they did so. Sparks flared from its scored arms as the red robot turned in an attempt to aim at the targets on its left.

* * *

Pres. Rara hit the surrender button and said to himself, "Stupid Sanada."

* * *

Cmdr. Sanada rose out of his seat and shouted, "Ha ha! That idiot couldn't even beat me with his shiny new toys! My incredible new weapons triumphed!" He briefly recovered from this delirium of joy to say to Yayoi, "And I've got the best people too. You've really been a good instructor."

"Thank you, sir," Yayoi grinned.

Cmdr. Sanada turned to the main screen again, which showed Unit 2 pulling Unit 3 to its feet, and the last two jewel-cannon robots standing staggering away, and laughed.

* * *

Kent held his head in one hand while he shook his head. It was awful to be unable to do anything about the images he was seeing. He sat a few moments more, then raised himself to his feet.

"I guess we survived," said a deflated Mena.

Kent found a communications line, and told the trio, "You did your best." Stunned, they managed a "Thank you." This was an unexpected kindness.

Several hours later, Mitsuki Rara walked the halls of the RaRa base with a forlorn expression. Slade found her in this state, and told her, "You did your best." She said, "I should've done better."

Slade shook his head. "Like I said, in wars sometimes there are setbacks. No matter how good you are, it doesn't always go quite right. We were hurt badly, but we hurt them badly, too. They're tough opponents, and your skills helped us to fight our best against them."

A wan smile was the best she could manage. "Thank you, Slade."


	23. Interlude 11

Interlude 11

Kazuki looked about his room. Where had his models gotten to? He wondered if Mitsuki Sanada or Dee moved them around while cleaning. Perhaps it was Kumu who moved them.

His models had been missing from the synthesis world for a brief time, until he managed to find them in a box with his name on it. Ostensibly it was left over from when he moved into the Sanada household ten years ago, but he knew it was really another odd consequence of making this universe by combining two others. Also in the box was his personal digital assistant. Kazuki couldn't recall why his desktop computer was already in his room in the synthesis world and these things weren't, but it hardly mattered.

Kazuki finally managed to find his models hidden in a storage area. He put them back on display were they ought to go.

Surveying his room, Kazuki decided that it needed something more. He wondered briefly if it were possible for him to get a model of Hartzenen. Hartzenen was his nickname for Core Robot Unit 1. Kazuki was aware that there would be no place in the world that sold Hartzenen model kits, and he let out his breath.

He had a fair bit of experience making models, so he began to wonder whether he could make one without any aid from a kit. Hartzenen was a subject he was very familiar with; he had observed it for a long time in his visions, seen it directly in the parallel world, and had fought in it for a good deal of time. If there were anything he could make a model of, it would be Hartzenen.

The first thing he'd need would be a lot of white plastic. Plastic was good because it was strong yet moldable. Where could he find some? Kazuki began to wander about the house to find some.

His search was frustrated; not by Mitsuki Sanada saying, "Kazuki, if you don't stop annoying people by wandering aimlessly, I'll make you start working," although she did say that. He was not finding any white plastic, at least not in the quantities he needed, and now he didn't dare set foot outside his room.

It was only now that he had an inspiration. White styrofoam would work just as well. Kazuki recalled that there had been white styrofoam packing peanuts in the laundry room, for some reason he couldn't recall. How could he get there now, though? Maybe he could lower himself out of the window using the walkway between this house and Yayoi's. Then he could get in the front door and sneak around Mitsuki that way.

Only once Kazuki was hanging several feet above ground did he remember that the last time he had tried this, the landing had been uncomfortable and slightly painful. The walkway between the Sanada household and the Yayoi household was right outside his window, and seemed inviting for lowering oneself to the ground, but it was much harder in practice. There also wouldn't be any way to reenter the house except the front door, and he had forgotten his key. Hopefully the key was in his room, but it had been missing for a few days now. Without the key, he'd have to get someone to open the door, and if it were Mitsuki Sanada, she'd upbraid him for his carelessness in losing the key. If he couldn't find his key himself, he'd rather tell Uncle Sanada or Aunt Akane than Mitsuki Sanada.

"Kazuki," Yayoi's called to him from above. He nervously turned his head and replied, "Uhh, hello." Yayoi was standing on the walkway, looking curiously at the sight of him hanging off it.

"While I approve of a physical fitness regimen," Yayoi informed him, "I think that perhaps the gym would be more convenient."

His embarrassment gave him strength as he heaved himself up onto the walkway and stood upon it.

"Kazuki," Yayoi unexpectedly asked, "would you care to join me at my house for lunch?"

Kazuki was startled; she always cooked and ate at their house. He didn't know what would happen if neither of them showed up for lunch.

"Thank you," Kazuki decided, "but I'd better find my key."

"I'll help you," she offered

Kazuki lowered his head to get through his open window, but misjudged and impacted it. Yayoi advanced. "Are you all hurt?" she asked.

"No, I'm fine," Kazuki said. It was a minor bump, which was why he had been silent. It prompted him to say, "How do you manage this every day?"

"It was easier when I had the door there," Yayoi admitted.

They both entered his room through the window, and the search began. Yayoi took an unnaturally long time searching every part of the room, as though she didn't traverse it every day and know every part of it. Kazuki was the one who found the key under a pile of papers. Yayoi eyed the papers suspiciously.

"Kazuki, by any chance," she began. Kazuki nodded and handed them to her. "On time; I'm impressed." It was impressive, so she decided to say nothing about him losing his keys.

"Yayoi," Kazuki said to her, "I was thinking about making a model of Hartzenen. I'm going to have to make it from scratch, and out of styrofoam, but it should be fairly good."

"That sounds interesting, Kazuki. Perhaps I could help you with what I recall of piloting it," Yayoi told him. "Thank you!" Kazuki told her.

"Yayoi!" Mitsuki Sanada yelled querulously from the kitchen downstairs. "I thought you said the ingredients were just in your pantry! I can't be responsible for your share of the food!"

"Oh, my," Yayoi moved towards the window, "I can't let your lunch be late. Thank you for responsibly completing the homework."

"Thank you for doing your best in teaching," Kazuki told her. As she went through the window and onto the walkway, Kazuki left his room to go to the laundry room directly.

He searched diligently but couldn't find the bag of packing peanuts. They probably were here at some point, he finally decided, but they were probably moved a long time ago and he hadn't noticed. There was the faint sound of Dee playing fetch with Kumu in the yard, and Akane calling them in for lunch, but Kazuki didn't notice it as he tried to think of some other material to use for the model. Perhaps laundry detergent would suffice somehow.

Opening the detergent container, he examined it. It wasn't as chunky as it sometimes was. Perhaps there would be some way of making it stick together. He poured some into his hand and squeezed it. Opening his hand, he examined the result, which was still just a lot of powder. He froze in fear as he saw Mitsuki's face watching him curiously. She would be angry with him, or worse, laugh at him!

Kazuki relaxed as he realized it was Mitsuki Rara. His luck had held again.

"Kazuki, what are you doing?" she inquired.

"I was trying to find something white to use as a part of a model," he told her, feeling this was a lame explanation.

"I don't think that will work," she smiled. Mitsuki Rara stifled a laugh, but at least, Kazuki told himself in disappointment, she had tried to stifle it. "Yayoi told me you were making a model of Hartzenen," she continued. "I got to be very familiar with it while I was piloting it, so I could tell you if it were accurate or not."

"Thank you!" Kazuki said.

"Lunch is ready," Mitsuki Rara informed him. They both proceeded to the dining room.

* * *

Mitsuki Sanada, temporarily alone in the dining room, considered Kazuki's fascination with models. It was totally pointless. The models couldn't do anything that the real things could do. His model of a tank couldn't even move its treads, let alone fire its gun. Kazuki's models just took up space in his room and time in his life without giving him any benefits.

She didn't want to encourage this behavior, yet she couldn't help wondering: where could she get something red so Kazuki could make a model of her robot, Unit 2?


	24. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Cmdr. Sanada stared at his map, looking at the divisions between RaRa territory and the territory that the Earth Defense Force controlled. He stared and thought about the trailer he had just received. There would be a battle in eight days- little more than a week after the Earth Defense Force had trounced the RaRa Army.

"That ugly man couldn't have gotten more robots already," said Inspector Akane Yamano as she entered the room, echoing the commander's thoughts. "Our robots could be repaired," she continued, "but most of his were disintegrated- he'll have to build them from scratch. He must plan to use some other robot he had in reserve."

The commander grunted, and spoke with firmness, "I hope not." Some of the robots he and Rara had dug up from the artifact would be more than a match for his current forces.

"Or," Inspector Yamano said hopefully, "maybe it's desperation. Maybe he's going to throw everything he has at us and finally call it a day!"

Cmdr. Sanada shook his head at that statement as Mrs. Nanjyoin entered the room. "Rara may be an idiot," Cmdr. Sanada said with finality, "but he's not dumb."

"Commander, that doesn't make any sense!" complained Inspector Yamano.

Mrs. Nanjyoin smiled and said, "I brought the list of replacement pilots for Unit 1." The pilot of Unit 1 had experienced a Life Sympathy backwash, just as Lt. Yayoi Schwael did before her.

"Oh good, let's start on that," Cmdr. Sanada eagerly turned to face Mrs. Nanjyoin.

"I'll be sure to impress upon the candidate we select," assured Inspector Yamano, "the full range of benefits the U.N. provides for the position, such as-" she halted, for she could tell Cmdr. Sanada was not listening, and sighed in resignation.

* * *

Earlier that day, Pres. Rara rushed to meet Slade as he emerged from the simulator. "Slade, we've had wonderful news!" he shouted, thoroughly startling Slade. "Himc is going to be completed ahead of schedule!" bellowed Pres. Rara, and a look of shock appeared on Slade's face.

"Already?" Slade asked, feeling a slight prickling under his skin. He soon didn't notice that, because Pres. Rara exuberantly gripped his upper arms. Slade supposed this was in lieu of one of Pres. Rara's manly bearhugs.

"It'll be done this week, in seven day's time," explained Pres. Rara, "a full two weeks ahead of schedule! And, I'm sure you'll appreciate this part, Slade, we modified it so that the shield remains permanently on without your having to think about it!"

"That is good news sir!" Slade agreed wholeheartedly.

"Mitsuki's already doing the trailer for your battle!" Pres. Rara went on, "When Himc finally is completed, you'll do a live test for an hour here on the island. Then, get a good night's rest, and the next day you'll defeat all our enemies!"

For a moment, Slade was surprised that he felt no doubts, no uncertainty that he could pull off the feat. Wasn't there some sort of rule that said he wouldn't feel up to the task until someone, hopefully a pretty girl, told him he could do it? Slade didn't feel worried about the battle. Instead, he found himself more occupied with how to pull away from this man and not injure his arms or the president's feelings. Slade just spoke honestly, "I shall fight with all my ability, sir."

"I'm so overcome with emotion!" shouted Pres. Rara, and bearhugged Slade without even changing his grip.

Alice, Mena, and Ryla, had emerged from the simulator behind Slade, and had heard the news. Their countenances abruptly shifted from brooding to ecstatic as this unforseen good news took hold.

"That's great!" exclaimed Mena.

"Don't worry," Pres. Rara said, now addressing her and her friends. "You won't be left out. Your jewel-cannon robot and the other that survived the last combat will go with him. Our Ancient Arms will crush the Earth Defense Force!"

"We're gonna win!" cheered Alice.

"I'm sure you'll be a great help to us, Slade," Ryla told him over Alice's continuing cheering.

"Thank you; I'll be glad to have people who actually have experience in this watching out for me," Slade replied.

"You'll be fine," Mitsuki and Mena both assured Slade. "We're all going to do our best, father," Mitsuki Rara told her father as she walked up.

"I'm sorry to have to deprive you of your bodyguards like this all the time," Pres. Rara said, referring to Alice, Mena, and Ryla.

"Don't worry. I'll be ordering them around so much, it'll seem like we're not apart at all," Mitsuki Rara informed her father.

There hadn't been any shortage of pulchritudinous women proffering encouragement, Slade realized, and this was causing him to wonder if he was in some sort of odd fantasy world.

Alice gave a last cry of "We're gonna win!" and punctuated it with a yell of glee.

* * *

Upon the day of combat, Slade found himself in the cockpit of the golden Himc.

Slade buckled his seat belt and said to the intercom, "Thanks for remembering, sir."

"No problem!" affirmed Pres. Rara.

Ms. Rah had already been helicoptered ahead to the battlefield. Slade and the remaining robots were transiting over the ocean. Slade sat in Himc, keeping it on course, constantly busy. He wanted to be a passenger again, and not have to worry about keeping Himc flying. Even if he was a passenger, there wasn't any in-flight movie, so he'd only be bored.

Pres. Rara monitored the progress of his attack force. Its numbers were scanty, for there were only two jewel-cannon robots and one Himc, but their power should be more than sufficient to win the battle. He instructed Ms. Rah, "They're right on schedule. Try to limit the jewel-cannon robots' engagement with the Core Robots, but at the same time, give Himc all the support it needs."

The robots entered the inland urban battlefield upon the battle's preannounced time. The three Core Robots were arrayed in a line to meet them, and the RaRa Army robots faced them in a line.

* * *

Cmdr. Sanada boggled at his control room's giant screen, nearly filled with the massive image of the gold and brown Himc. An officer called to him, "Sir, Unit 3's Life Sympathy has fallen drastically!"

Unit 3 had crouched to the ground. Its pilot, D, clutched her hands to her head, terrified at this horrid image from her past. Her unearthly left eye flared a brilliant blue, shining through her green locks. It was Himc, looking no different from the day on which it had destroyed her civilization, killed all her friends, smitten her robot Zinv to the ground as though swatting a fly. It had not diminished in power at all, and D was now in a fake body and a robot less powerful than Zinv. Himc had stepped out of that era and into this one, and now it would destroy everything she cared about all over again.

Cmdr. Sanada, also alarmed by the sight of such an unexpected and menacing robot, shouted at D through the communication system, trying to revive her somehow.

* * *

Slade had waited upon no ceremony; he and the jewel-cannon robots had streaked ahead in formation at Himc's top speed, the long period of training allowing them confidence in their teammates' abilities.

The other two Core Robots, not knowing anything of why D had stopped, rushed forward to meet the RaRa robots. Cmdr. Sanada was joined in his shouting by Inspector Yamano, and D realized for the first time that they were saying anything at all to her.

"D! Are you all right? If you are, you can't just stop! It's too dangerous! You have to do something!" Cmdr. Sanada was shouting.

She brought her robot to its feet. She always had fought, always had tried to make a difference, but it almost never made a real difference. She had failed to destroy Himc before, and what was happening now was the result. D nevertheless struggled to her feet to join the fight.

Ms. Rah's eyes focused upon Unit 3. She had thought it removed from the battle for an unknowable reason, but now it was showing signs of life. After considering the situation briefly, she ordered the jewel-cannon robots to prevent Unit 3 from engaging Himc.

The jewel-cannon robots, who had been exchanging some fire with the Core Robots advancing upon them, obeyed her order and broke formation, easily exceeding Himc's speed as they ran towards Unit 3. They took paths to the sides of the two startled Core Robots. The Core Robot pilots attempted to attack them en passant but missed their aim.

"D can handle them both easily," Lt. Yayoi Schwael directed the Core Robots, "you two attack that other robot."

Unit 1 leapt upon a skyscraper's roof in order to face better the giant Himc. Its grenade launcher reported loudly thrice in relatively rapid succession. Thrice, explosions detonated against Himc's shield, clearly failing to affect the golden robot.

Before Unit 1 could make another movement, Himc's tentacles grasped its limbs firmly, one tentacle for each limb. Lifting it slightly off the roof of the skyscraper, Slade fired the beam twice, moving the beam down vertically like a knife, precisely slicing off two limbs off the torso with each strike.

Unit 2, still moving forward, looking for a good place from which to engage the mammoth robot, felt an onslaught of fear.

* * *

Cmdr. Sanada pushed himself away from his console for a moment. Inspector Yamano sputtered in utter shock. Only partially recovered from sheer awe, the Commander pulled himself forward again and received the report, "Life Sympathy of Unit 1's pilot at 0, sir. Core Unit ejected."

"Make arrangements to pick up the pilot and the robot's pieces," Cmdr. Sanada voiced.

* * *

In the meantime, the two jewel-cannon robots were in pitched battle with D. These robots she fought well, attacking and moving swiftly. Himc's actions were only surprising in the tactics it had used; she knew it had incredible fighting prowess. These jewel-cannon robots were far easier to fight, though still challenging. Just now she blew an arm off of the robot being piloted by Mitsuki Rara's bodyguards. She was unable to follow up this advantage because of purple beams from the other robot.

Unit 2 raised its grenade launcher's barrel towards where Himc hovered above the ground. Slade performed the Hydra upon it, and Unit 2 fired wildly, hoping to score a hit upon the tentacles which frantically danced before its gaze. Its response came too late, for the hands on the tentacles' ends ensnared its limbs, and it was served as Unit 1 had been.

Without a second thought, Cmdr. Sanada sent a callsign.

Unit 3 and the jewel-cannon robots halted their war of weaving and firing, and moved away from each other. The jewel-cannon robots tramped past the dissected Core Robots, and their vision was relayed to the far-off pilots.

Ms. Rah pumped her arm and declared in a loud voice, "The godlike Pres. Rara has triumphed once again, foolish members of the human race!"

Slade shifted in his chair in Himc and gave thanks for this great victory. Weariness seemed to suddenly descend upon him. He wondered what a real soldier, one who actually had to carry heavy things and run long distances, felt like after combat.

Alice surveyed the disassociated Core Robots with disappointment. "We missed Slade's opening battle!" she complained.

"I guess we'll have to watch it in the video room when we come back," suggested Ryla.

"Yeah!" enthusiastically agreed Alice. "Can we, please, Mitsuki?"

Mitsuki Rara, still in the guise of Ms. Rah, was being helicoptered back to the island base, since she had no further responsibilities on this battlefield. Himc and the jewel-cannon robots were beginning the long flight over the ocean, proceeding to the same destination.

"A celebration of this glorious victory for the RaRa Army, and the hard work of all of you would be appropriate," Ms. Rah replied, making a horizontal slicing motion with her arm to enforce her agreement.

"Eh, why not," was the amiable response of Pres. Rara.

Slade said nothing. He was not averse to the idea, nor was he a party animal, nor yet a wet blanket.

Ayuko leaned her right arm against the high back of Pres. Rara's chair. "What a desirable outcome," she purred. "I think we'll be seeing quite a few such effortless victories."

* * *

Deep beneath her feet, Kumu stirred with the knowledge of the battle. That man was still a threat, but perhaps Ayuko had been right: a threat contained could be a useful weapon. Kumu's vigilance was not relaxed in the slightest as long as Slade was in the cockpit of a robot. If ever he acted against her, Kumu would use Ayuko's control network and override him. As long as he acted in her interests, she need merely watch the looming defeat of D and her friends.

* * *

Yayoi, from the Earth Defense Force control room, directed the movements of the people on the ground. Under her direction, they busily collected the shorn arms and legs of the Core Robots, retrieved their ejected Core Units, and conducted the pilots back to base. She felt sympathy for the pilots: they had only just begun the path to recovering from a Life Sympathy backwash. She checked again upon Unit 3, and was relieved to see its Life Sympathy normal, D returning to base under her own power, silent as ever. Yayoi wondered if she'd ever know what had happened to D when she collapsed. D seemed to not have any fears or other emotions, so if she had been daunted, they may be in desperate trouble. Yayoi returned her mind to developing and teaching tactics to defeat the big robot that had appeared today. She was sure they hadn't seen the last of it, but they'd be prepared for it on the next battle.

* * *

"They're starting to call Unit 1 a deathtrap," remarked Cmdr. Sanada with morose humor. "You'd think somebody had actually died in it."

He was sitting in the map room again, looking at the territory he had just ceded to the RaRa Army.

"Did you want to discuss your idea for supplementing our forces now, commander?" asked Mrs. Nanjyoin.

Although Inspector Yamano was seated straightly, her dejection was plain to see. She looked at Mrs. Nanjyoin and Cmdr. Sanada in turn. "Is this the one you had a few weeks ago?" she asked.

"Yes. I think we have to have more combatants in the fight. Knowing the sort of robots Rara has up his sleeve, I thought we should get more robots of our own. I should've pushed ahead back when I had the idea."

Mrs. Nanjyoin spoke again. "In any case, Commander Sanada, we should discuss the matter seriously now."

"Mrs. Nanjyoin is right," determined Inspector Yamano. "You had a good idea, and we ought to do it as soon as possible."

Despite himself, or perhaps because of his depression, Cmdr. Sanada began to laugh. "Today you got me, idiot," he snorted, "but next time, there'll be a few more robots to handle! Your poky flying hulk won't have enough arms to get them all!" His laughter became maniacal. Inspector Yamano glanced uneasily at Mrs. Nanjyoin, who merely kept her mouth in a straight line and her eyes neutral. Yayoi glanced in the room, shrugged, and walked on. Sometimes, you just had to allow people their idiosyncrasies and get on with your own work.


	25. Interlude 12

Interlude 12

Ayuko looked about the store, which extended several stories upwards. The floor she was on was a fairly good floor, with plenty of good possibilities as far as clothes. She had to check out the jewelry section on the level above before she departed, although the pearl section had disappointed her before. No one seemed to care about pearls quite as much as she did. All she asked was that each be perfectly free from the smallest smudge and that each have a certain shine. It was not much to ask, but the employees all seemed perfectly blind to the small imperfections on most pearls. Naturally she pointed out the deficiencies, pointing and insisting until they understood. If only she could make this education more permanent, these shopping trips would be perfect.

She pondered her situation as she tried on a long feather boa. At one time, she had thought outer space a sheer waste of the powers of the artifact, but now she was being persuaded of its usefulness. An interstellar voyage was what everyone else wanted to do, and it was best to acquiesce. From her perspective, there was also the advantage that they had only to keep Zinv a secret until they blasted off, and then there would be no one on the planet who had access to the technological might of the civilization that Kumu and D were once a part of. Only she and the others would be able to command its powers.

The boa suited her, Ayuko decided, and she instructed her staff to add it to her purchases with a gesture. It was now her seventh hour of shopping and she was still going strong. Ayuko could not imagine how people could continue to turn down her invitations to join her on these excursions.

It had been some time since the meeting with Dr. Warai and his graduate students, and she considered it to have gone well. They had agreed to work on designs incorporating the technology of the artifact, or rather such technology as they could divine from the data of Zinv. She and her staff went up the elevator to see the jewelry.

Smiling, she stared at the glittering array of jewelry. Indicating one large necklace, she asked a store employee casually, "Please hand me that necklace so I may try it on."

The young woman stared at this well-dressed woman and her strain of attendants. She was new here, and had never seen Ayuko before. "I'm sorry ma'am," she said, "but store policy is not to-"

A manager hurried forward, and removed the necklace from the display case. The clerk looked at her in shock, but the woman had already brought the necklace to Ayuko. "Of course, madame," the manager smiled obsequiously, "Perhaps you will care to look at some other pieces as well?"

"Only that one," Ayuko communicated indifferently.

This manager, Ayuko knew perfectly well as the manager continued to fawn over her, did not even require bribes to be corrupted. The manager loved being near the powerful and rich, in the vain hope that she would gain benefits from them. Some people were different, and could be harder to persuade. Dr. Warai and his graduate students looked to be very difficult to control.

For the moment, raw power did not concern Ayuko. She still had her riches and a free hand on shopping expeditions. It was almost everything a woman of sophistication and intelligence required. She was determined to fully use the opportunities given to her. The future's opportunities, she surveyed and planned for only in the depths of her mind.

Ayuko was admiring the necklace around her throat in the mirror, then jerked in surprise when a cellphone rang, one which turned out to be her own. She frowned at it. Ayuko had selected it for its looks and pleasant ring tone, but it still seemed terribly gauche at this moment in time.

Calling her was a person she had not expected in the least. Ayuko decided she ought to make more of a habit to check the caller identification before simply answering a call. Still, it was almost unprecedented that her niece Mitsuki Sanada would contact her in any way at all.

"Old lady, can you hear me?" Mitsuki Sanada asked.

"Yes, my dear niece," Ayuko replied sweetly. "How are you?"

"I'm well," Mitsuki Sanada grumbled back, "and I know you're also doing well, spending all of Uncle Rara's fortune on baubles and abusing the salespeople. Speaking of Uncle Rara, he needed someone to ask you if there was enough milk in the fridge."

"I don't understand," Ayuko was astonished, "I don't usually handle that sort of thing. I don't rival the wonderful talents of you or my daughter or Ms. Schwael at cooking, so I don't set foot in the kitchen."

"We all know that you're useless," Mitsuki huffed, "but that's the message that got to me anyway. Apparently they're all really busy at the lab, he must not have been thinking clearly."

"I can't even recall the last time any of us drank milk," Ayuko told her as her eyes began to dart back and forth nervously. Normally her husband was harmless, but sometimes he could strain her nerves with his bizarre concern for trivial matters.

"There's nothing else to tell you," Mitsuki Sanada concluded the call.

Ayuko closed her phone sharply, the force derived from a sudden memory. Two weeks ago they had stocked a fridge in one of their two homes with some milk- her husband had some ridiculous idea of using it in some exotic appetizer for a party. Which house had it been? Who had bought it? Was the milk still there?

She began to hyperventilate as she considered the prospect of having to smell sour milk. This couldn't be happening to her. Ayuko turned around abruptly and instructed her entourage, in a scream, to immediately disinfect every fridge the Raras owned and vaporize all spoiled foods.

"Whatever the problem is, madame," the manager made Ayuko nearly leap into the air with the shock of suddenly finding the woman again by her side, "we'd all only be too happy to help."

"Good," Ayuko gasped, "you," she pointed to the manager, "and you," she pointed to the junior jewelry saleswoman, "obtain every bottle of perfume in this store and pour it all in the kitchens in both of my houses."

The junior saleswoman's stare had grown less and less unabashed, and now she felt free to admit to her bewilderment. "But I'm going off-shift in twenty-five minutes-"

"It is clearly my duty, and my responsibility, to help you in this time of crisis," interceded the manager. "I shall do this task with all my effort, alone and unaided, dedicated to your service, madame."

* * *

Dr. Hiroshi Rara came home late that night. It had been a long day, but it was good to come back to his own castle. Here, his staff kept everything neat and orderly and-he gagged on the incredible mixture of smells that came to his nostrils. Presumably, the perfumes had all smelled good individually and in moderation. Now they all combined to form an odor incredibly pungent.

"What's happened?" he sputtered, and heard Ayuko reply, "Just freshening the air, dear." Her voice indicated severe nasal congestion. "The staff didn't find any milk in our refrigerator, but I wanted to liven up the house."

The wheezing Dr. Rara staggered out the front door again, resolved to take several deep breaths of air before making any attempt to reenter. Perhaps, the doctor thought, he ought to rent scuba gear for the nonce.

* * *

The sleeping bag had been arranged on the balcony as best Ayuko's staff could through their watering eyes. She supposed she and Hiroshi would have to sleep out there tonight, where the cornucopia of scent was somewhat diluted by the breeze.

It was only appropriate for a woman of her abilities, Ayuko thought as she blew her nose and daubed her eyes, that she was rich enough that she never had to smell spoiled milk!


	26. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

The video lounge part of the party had been concluded. In attendance now were Kent Slade, Pres. Rara, his wife Ayuko, their daughter Mitsuki Rara, her bodyguards Ryla, Mena, and Alice, and their friend and coworker Ms. Kaoru Hayase.

Now they had all retired to a finely appointed dining room. Slade assumed they were going to eat here, perhaps some chips and soda, or some similar junk food fare in the Japanese style. His expectations were wildly exceeded by what was to come: a veritable banquet. That Mitsuki Rara was largely responsible for the cuisine came as no surprise to him, for as he put it, he and the other pilots did oft "stuff their craws at her expense." Kent had of course, put it this way only to himself, and in mildly arcane English for good measure and for encryption. He didn't want anyone to know he thought that.

Amazement really only came to him when he saw that the general intent of the party was in fact to honor him. Protested Kent, "But all of you helped me out so much. I'd still be in handcuffs if it wasn't for you," he said, gesturing to Pres. Rara, "I'd never have gotten this uniform right if it wasn't for you," pointing now to Ayuko, "I rely upon your guidance and cooking," he motioned toward Mitsuki Rara, "Without you, we'd be flying rusty heaps of junk," he stretched out an open palm to Ms. Hayase, "and you three and the other pilots held off that blue robot for me," he concluded his speech by indicating the bodyguard trio with a sweeping gesture.

The response to this outburst was general gratitude towards Slade, cheers and high-spirited toasts, and then returning quite naturally to singling him out for accolades. At this point he decided to simply go with the flow. After all, shouldn't he also be grateful to them for honoring him in this way?

Good cheer infused the group, binding it together in happiness. To the end of his days Kent would remember the scene, a time when during his exile from his native world, he was able to forget all his troubles, and rejoice with good friends.

Perhaps Ayuko was not a friend, but it was close enough.

Forever would he see them as he did there, Pres. Rara making a chopping motion with his hand in imitation of the limb removal of the Core Robots, Ayuko resting her chin on her interlaced fingers and watching her husband with that odd cat's grin, Mitsuki Rara's countenance alight with everyone's compliments upon her food, Ms. Hayase beside her, honest delight obscuring the troubles her mind often held, Alice shrieking with delight at Pres. Rara's retelling of the battle, and Ryla and Mena in hysterics from all the amusement.

Could Slade have seen himself as all these others saw him, he would've seen himself having just as much fun. His attempts at modesty were appreciated and made them rise in their estimation, making only more worthy of more honor. He would've seen his humor sally forth with wit at its lancepoint. If perhaps black flashes of pride were to erupt from him, he did attempt to suppress them.

A revelation which was general and almost unconscious, but one which was delivered to all present, was how Kent seemed to be going out of his way to praise Mitsuki Rara, and how her eyes sparkled at each such compliment. It was mostly lost upon everyone, even those two, but there were three persons present who slowly, but with gathering certainty, recognized it.

* * *

At the Earth Defense Force base, Lt. Yayoi Schwael looked up from the diagrams of the new Core Robots. "Is there any possibility of getting any upgrades in these new units, Commander?"

Cmdr. Sanada shook his head gravely. "Afraid not, Yayoi. If I had actually gotten this scheme underway when I thought of it, maybe. As it is, though, we need those units as fast as possible. They'll have to be exactly the same as the Core Robots we've got; there's simply no time for the industrialists to get new designs done or tests performed."

"We have good robots and good pilots, sir," Lt. Schwael told him. "Simply having more robots should increase our combat abilities greatly."

"But our pool of pilot candidates is growing a little empty," sighed Cmdr. Sanada. Dismay suddenly struck across his face.

"Don't worry, Commander," Inspector Akane Yamano told him as she walked into the room. "I delivered the message about stepping up our recruitment efforts."

Cmdr. Sanada relaxed and grinned lazily. "Thanks. I really appreciate it."

She was suspicious of his attitude, and replied with a slight tightness, "You're welcome." The commander's grin didn't appear to have changed in the least. She realized she had fallen into another trap; he only wanted to make her think his attitude deserved suspicion. Was there no end to his inventiveness in making mischief?

Yayoi decided to divert her commander's attention from tormenting Inspector Yamano to more weighty matters. "I've prepared a new tactic that may be able to defeat Himc, sir. I've been running simulations and drills on it. The scientists admit that it may be possible, and the drills are proceeding well."

Inspector Yamano turned to Yayoi. "How much of a chance does it have?"

"It's fairly possible, since its shield isn't an Isolation Weapon." Cmdr. Sanada was referring to one of the more potent technologies unearthed from the artifact. "Your idea will probably breach that hulk's shield," he told Yayoi.

"Excellent," pronounced Akane.

* * *

The next day found Kent in a strangely morose humor. He had just realized that he had not received a single email message in all the months he had been in this universe. This was unsurprising, as he had not bothered to establish an email account, and in any case, since he technically didn't exist here, none of his friends he knew from his original world were going to email him. It still bothered him to have remembered how much he had lost: his friends, his family, his home, his job.

Three women in RaRa Army Uniforms peeked out, and sprang out in front of Kent from a nearby doorway. Kent's mood was so distracted that he didn't even register surprise at the sudden appearance of Mitsuki Rara's bodyguards, sans Mitsuki herself. They fanned out slightly to impede his forward progress. Recovering himself somewhat, Kent greeted them absently.

"Ask her out," they simultaneously demanded of him.

This time Kent was startled. He regarded them quizzically.

"Who?" he finally asked. His mind was still mostly elsewhere.

"The woman you love?" Mena suggested helpfully.

"Who, why, what are you talking about?" muttered Kent. "Eh, look, I ought to be getting on to-"

"Come on, just ask Mitsuki out!" Alice snapped, growing impatient at his remaining wrapped in his own thoughts.

Finally the fog was lifted from around Kent. His first emotion was panic at the reef he suddenly spotted ahead. Fear filled his eyes as he frantically waved his hands and said softly, "Hey, ladies, the walls have ears!"

"What does that have to do with it?" Now Alice was quizzical.

"I'm saying this could start rumors that could destroy this organization! Now, I really have to get going!" Kent was seriously alarmed.

"Where to?" smiled Ryla mischievously. "Our simulation isn't for a while yet. There's nothing you need to do but stay here and tell us that-"

"Okay, okay!" Kent blurted in English before remembering himself and returning to Japanese, "Look, I'll meet with you someplace else. One of the deserted areas on the island where no one can overhear us. Just stop talking about it here before anyone gets any ideas!" he barked fiercely.

One of the patrols walked down the hall, and Kent was mortified. The trio wondered what on earth could be the matter with Kent, and tried to act natural, but it was hard when Kent was silent and paralyzed with an agonized visage of shame. The patrol gave Kent a second glance, and the trio tried to smile to indicate nothing was amiss.

"What is so hard about this?" wondered Ryla at Slade when the guard had gone.

Kent leaned forward, angry now. "Rumor! Scandal! Did you not think about that before you went and talked about such inflammatory things here in the hallway where everyone can hear!"

Taken aback but determined, Mena said, "But you are going to talk about it with us elsewhere. In an hour."

"All right," Kent agreed through gritted teeth, and the four persons agreed upon a place.

Kent scowled now as he walked through the hallway. Why didn't they realize the sort of crippling effect that rumors like the ones they had nearly started could have on the morale and authority of their friend, or even her parents?

"I didn't expect that," murmured Ryla.

"Our guess wasn't wrong, but it looks like it'll be tough to get him to ask her," said Mena.

A devious look stole across Alice's face.

Kent found an hour later the result of that devious look when he walked to the meeting place and found his commander there instead of the trio. He didn't doubt that the trio was observing them surreptitiously. They were clever, he'd give them that; he hadn't even anticipated this possibility. Kent had calmed down in the intervening hour, though Mitsuki Rara detected in him some unease.

"I was just admiring the view," she said. They were indeed upon a height from which an excellent view could be obtained. Kent therefore agreed with her.

A sudden thought struck him: under what pretenses had her bodyguards lured her out here?

"I'm glad I let Ryla and the others convince me to do this, though I'm not sure why they were so insistent," Mitsuki Rara mentioned casually.

Kent wasn't sure whether or not he heard a snicker from nearby bushes; in any case, he himself rolled his eyes and laughed nervously. At least they hadn't said anything of their conjectures to her.

Mitsuki Rara noticed him glancing about in some trepidation, and asked what was the matter. "I have an eerie feeling that we're being watched," admitted Slade.

"Oh, it's just my bodyguards," said Mitsuki Rara very softly, so they wouldn't overhear her. "They're behind that large tree there."

Slade swiveled to face her, amazed. She was facing away from the tree, and as far as Slade could tell, she had not actually looked in its direction at any time.

"I just know how they think," she explained in the same quiet voice.

"Do you want to call them out?" Slade asked in a mischievous whisper.

"Not really. They're fine where they are, I don't mind," Mitsuki Rara whispered accommodatingly.

Slade was disappointed. Those three had been embarrassing him an awful lot today, and he wanted some of his own back.

"I wonder what'll happen after the war's over," she said in a voice only slightly louder, her eyes full of mournful thoughts.

"I was hoping to be able to go home," Slade answered immediately.

Her pupils dilated in surprise, then returned to normal as Slade continued. "If, of course, I can convince your father to build a transporter. We may be able to just build a signaler, though. That might be faster."

"Do you miss your old world?" Mitsuki Rara inquired.

Kent nodded, unable to speak for a moment. "My family probably thinks I'm dead," he managed finally.

"That must be awful," she sympathized.

He could only nod again. A moment passed, and then he looked at his watch. Kent mentioned that it was about time for the group simulation, and he and Mitsuki Rara returned to the base. Mitsuki Rara knew that the trio was returning to base as well, by devious means and double-timing so it'd appear they had never left. They were good friends to watch out for her every day.

* * *

The next battle had been scheduled within a short time of the first. The RaRa Army hoped to keep the Earth Defense Force off balance, and so was pressing ahead. Ms. Rah was present upon the battlefield, standing atop a skyscraper. The two jewel-cannon robots flanked Himc. This time, the Earth Defense Force was not in a battle line to face them- in fact, they appeared to be entirely absent.

Slade recognized this situation: "This is just like when they ambushed one of our previous robots. They're probably ducking behind buildings so we can't see them, and already have us surrounded."

"That won't help them against Himc's power," muttered one of the pilots of the second jewel-cannon robot to herself.

"Himc, find the foolish enemies of our wonderful Pres. Rara wherever they skulk!" Ms. Rah commanded.

"Affirmative, Commander," Slade acknowledged, and propelled himself forward, on a course towards the rear of what he thought was a likely hiding place for a Core Robot.

* * *

"Large unit has begun to move!" reported an officer in the control room of the Earth Defense Force.

"It'll never get better than this, sir," Lt. Schwael told Cmdr. Sanada as they both studied the map, which showed the RaRa robots roughly, but not exactly, in the middle of a triangle formed by the three Earth Defense Force robots. Cmdr. Sanada nodded slightly, and Lt. Schwael ordered the pilots to attack according to the new plan she had made.

* * *

All three Core Robots simultaneously stood up, took aim upon Himc, and fired. Their three shots hit Himc simultaneously, detonating against its shields. They fired again and again, each volley being fired so as to hit Himc at the same moment as every other grenade in the volley.

The two jewel-cannon robots had been tossed to the ground by the concussions and taken severe damage. The trio's robot had lost the right arm and most of the right torso, while the second one had landed upon its front and lost nearly all of its armor on its back, so that its circuitry was now exposed there.

"Scatter!" Ms. Rah ordered the jewel-cannon robots. They moved away from the constant explosions as best as they could. Ms. Rah now ordered them to charge the Core Robots. Slade had begun to attempt dodging the blasts on his own, which meant that now several grenades missed or impacted at different times from the others.

* * *

"Shields can't withstand simultaneous hits for so long!" Inspector Yamano protested.

"But this one has," sighed Cmdr. Sanada. He noticed an indicator on his console; Rara was calling him on the hotline. Cmdr. Sanada answered his call, and he saw upon the screen the RaRa war room, where Pres. Rara's form sat elegantly upon the throne. Ayuko leaned on the chair's high back, smiling devilishly. Cmdr. Sanada listened to Hiroshi gloat.

"Stupid Sanada! Didn't you think I'd reinforce Himc's shields! Why, we've even got special additions to the shield generators to stop that tactic!"

Cmdr. Sanada glared at the screen, then quoth mildly, "Well, I'd expect someone who isn't really a scientist to think that way. I am a man of method, who tests everything, and takes nothing for granted, unlike you, who just assumes he'll take over the world!"

Now Pres. Rara was riled, but he returned gamely: "And you assume you're going to save it. That makes us even."

"No, that makes me much smarter," fired back Cmdr. Sanada.

As usual, Yayoi and Mrs. Nanjyoin filtered out both of them and kept their eyes on the battle.

* * *

The jewel-cannon robots were each very close to the Core Robot they had picked as a target. Yayoi ordered the targeted Core Robots to shift their attention from firing on Himc to the jewel-cannon robots.

Himc was attacking the red Core Robot, which was jumping about before him, intermittently firing its grenade launcher to no avail. Slade occasionally fired his medium range beam to corral it within an area directly in front of him. He would've hit it directly if it wasn't so good at evasive maneuvers. That situation, however, could only last so long. Unit 2 attempted to leap again, but its foot slipped on some rubble, and it began to trip instead. Slade's beam disassociated Unit 2 before it hit the ground, without harm to Unit 2's pilot.

"Himc, you must join our attack against the white unit!" commanded Ms. Rah, making a wide gesture towards it.

"Yes, Commander," Slade told her, and swiveled to face in Unit 1's direction. He saw the jewel-cannon robot with its back armor destroyed was engaged with Unit 1. The white robot had managed to get behind the jewel-cannon robot without its knowledge, and was preparing to fire on it from cover. Ms. Rah was trying to warn the robot's pilots in time.

For a moment, a bright ball of light hung in the air in front of Himc- then it streaked toward Unit 1 and struck it in the legs. Unit 1 pitched forward, sprawling awkwardly beyond the building where it had been hiding behind. The jewel-cannon robot, warned by Ms. Rah, turned around, and saw the white robot feebly attempting to use its legs. The jewel-cannon robot fired upon it, and it lay still. The RaRa robot then toppled.

* * *

"Unit 1 is damaged beyond ability to fight, sir, but no backwash or drop in life signs," someone reported to Cmdr. Sanada.

The commander huffed at this news, and then asked, "Have you got any analysis on that weapon the big one just used?"

"It seems to be some sort of high-energy bullet, sir," an officer supplied. "We got some data that the scientists can read, but I don't know how to interpret it; it doesn't look like any earthly power source could generate that much energy in so short a time."

"At least Unit 3 seems to be doing well in its battle," commented Inspector Yamano.

"Unit 3 has engaged one enemy unit, the one missing its right arm. They are trading fire," another officer appraised them.

* * *

"This time we'll get that blue one!" declared Ryla.

D slipped Unit 3 behind a building and prepared to duck out again to shoot the jewel-cannon robot. Every previous battle indicated that a direct hit would knock a jewel-cannon robot out of the fight permanently.

Pres. Rara had ceased his taunting communications with Cmdr. Sanada to determine how badly the other jewel-cannon robot was malfunctioning. "Ms. Rah, can the other jewel-cannon robot move at all?"

Ms. Rah informed him, "No sir, it's fallen to the ground, and the pilots report they can't make in any way."

Pres. Rara overlaid on his war room's screen the Life Sympathy readings of its pilots. "Their Life Sympathy is fine," he grumbled, "so I guess their robot must've taken too much damage. Your bodyguards and Slade are on their own."

As soon as Unit 1 was dispatched, Slade had begun to move towards Unit 3. All of his weapons were out of range except for the high-energy bullet. His eventual workaround to its slow firing speed was simple; he only charged it to a small amount of its true capability before releasing the bullet. Slade held this one before him for less than two seconds, then released it at the building he had seen the blue robot duck behind.

A massive hole appeared in the building before D, and her blue robot caught some of the flying debris and undissipated destructive energy. Unit 3 was not catastrophically injured, but its cover was now destroyed. D knew she needed to move quickly. Her intuition was justified as the bodyguard trio shot beams upon her through new hole in the edifice. Unit 3 had already bounded away, and the beams missed. The blue Core Robot dashed about, abruptly changing direction several times. D knew this served to frustrate the few bullets Himc was able to send at it. Having fought Himc before, she knew as well as Slade that even if its time from bullet formation to firing was decreased, its reloading time was very long.

* * *

Cmdr. Sanada punched the callsign button. "There's no point to prolonging the inevitable," he explained. He turned to Yayoi, "I don't care what that idiot says, your idea was brilliant."

"Thank you, sir. If only it had turned out better," Yayoi bowed slightly to him, as a traditional sign of respect. The commander returned it. As he straightened, he noticed a call on the hotline.

Upon this occasion, Pres. Rara did not even invoke words to humiliate Cmdr. Sanada, he simply stuck out his tongue and pulled at his eye. Cmdr. Sanada repeated the gesture exactly, to defy and mock him. Both of them remained frozen in this position for some time, humming derisively at each other. Grunting in impatience and irritation, Inspector Yamano cut the connection.

* * *

When finally Slade had returned to base, he found the trio waiting for him in a corridor. Slade was now not alarmed by their obvious desire to discuss sensitive subjects in public. He figured they were going to gossip to everyone in any case, so he might as well simply talk with them in public.

"You didn't ask her out!" complained Mena.

Craftiness crept across Slade's face. He would no longer panic; he would tease.

"Females," Slade chuckled, "you think that parties result in romance as lightning results in thunder."

"Males," said Alice, faking a bass tone in an imitation of Slade's voice, "you think we haven't got eyes in our heads. We know what you're thinking. You think she's pretty and nice and a good cook."

"I'm sure she likes you too," said Mena in a falsetto imitation of Mitsuki Rara's voice.

Slade rolled his eyes, but couldn't stop a few chuckles from escaping his throat.

"I didn't think people who refused to admit to their love actually existed," Ryla said in disbelief. "Whatever is the matter with you?"

"Assuming that what you say is true," explained Slade, "she is my commanding officer, which makes a romantic relationship a bad idea for a whole host of reasons."

"No it doesn't!" Alice contradicted him.

"It could lead to accusations of favoritism," Slade pointed out. "It could subvert our judgment. It could lead to resentment among the other members of the RaRa Army. And what would it be like for everybody if we quarreled? Things could get bad. Or, even worse, if we were to break up? That would be a very bad situation."

"No it doesn't!" Alice contradicted him again.

Continuing, Kent ignored this, "Perhaps the biggest reason is that I was planning on leaving this whole world, and I wasn't planning on coming back. It wouldn't be fair of me to force her to choose between two worlds like that."

"Well then, change your mind and stay here!" suggested Mena.

"You forget that I do not exist in this world," Kent replied tightly. He sighed, releasing the sudden tension. "That's how it is. Not much can really be done about it. I'll see you around." He walked away, glad this had finally gotten straightened out.

* * *

Some hours earlier, after Inspector Yamano had cut the connection and Cmdr. Sanada had retracted his tongue into his mouth, the commander had grinned fiercely.

"Oh well," Cmdr. Sanada had said. "We'll be taking delivery of the new Core Robots in a few weeks. Maybe things will be better once we get them. No, I'm sure things will go better for us. Much, much better!" He began to laugh maniacally once again. Inspector Yamano just bowed slightly in farewell and left the control room silently.


	27. Interlude 13

Interlude 13

"Sir," one of Dr. Rara's researchers told him through the intercom, "I thought you'd like to know that dimensional bend is increasing again."

Dr. Rara looked out of the control room window in Zinv's hangar, down to the floor below where the researchers worked. "Again?" Dr. Rara repeated as an inquiry. "How much in the last few minutes?"

"Nothing in the last few minutes, sir," the researcher told him. "It's plateaued since four hours ago."

Dr. Sanada, sitting beside Dr. Rara, grunted, and added to that, "Then it wasn't caused by any of Zinv's maneuvers we tried; they were only a few minutes ago."

"Yes," concurred Dr. Rara, and added the reservation, "but if Zinv isn't causing this, then what is? Zinv can't have been causing the rise in readings we've been seeing the last few months, but what has been?"

Dr. Sanada shrugged. "What caused that spike a few months ago?" he asked rhetorically. Neither had any idea.

Dr. Rara caught Dr. Sanada's eye. "Are you sure there aren't any parallel universes anymore?"

Dr. Sanada assumed the greater gravity he knew Dr. Rara wanted right now. "A scientist is never sure until he measures. You have all the measurements I do."

"Then neither of us know," confirmed Dr. Rara. He said to the researcher through the intercom, "Thank you for your hard work. Please continue to update me."

"Yes, sir," the researcher replied.

"Ms. Hayase," Dr. Rara asked her through the communications setup with Zinv, "if it is another world, perhaps we ought to begin to run crash simulations."

"You mean they might collide like they did last time?" Dr. Sanada asked him.

"I don't want to go through that again, but we should prepare for the worst," he replied.

"Unfortunately, we still don't have enough facts," Ms. Hayase told them. "The simulation needs far more information than we currently have."

"Well, then we'll just have to keep collecting data," Dr. Sanada decided.

"Let's get back to this test," suggested Dr. Rara.

Ms. Hayase made Zinv jump forward, the longest jump she had been able to make yet. The next maneuver in the test was sprinting and dashing. She made Zinv move forward quickly, then dash from side to side. Then, as scheduled, she made Zinv leap vertically, achieving the greatest height that she had yet achieved.

"Thank you, Ms. Hayase, for your patience," Dr. Rara said through the communications system. "The instruments are set up. You may begin the test when you're ready."

Everyone had meant for the instruments to be ready earlier, but there had been some last-minute problems in the field. The doctors had therefore been having Zinv go through miscellaneous moves until everything was ready.

The researchers had finally finished assembling the instruments, which looked like a giant hoop. Its purpose was to make a careful measurement of the gravitational fields within the hoop. Dr. Sanada and Dr. Rara were hoping that Zinv's unique abilities with manipulating gravity could help them fashion an artificial gravity system for their spacecraft. This test was one of the first steps toward that goal.

Zinv carefully moved to face the open portion of the hoop. The test was to fire a gravitational shell through the hoop, so it could be measured. Unfortunately, the hoop was not much bigger than the shell. If the aim was slightly off, then the hoop would be destroyed and no useful data could be collected.

Ms. Hayase deliberately aimed Zinv's arm, allowed the glowing blue energy of the shell to coalesce in front of Zinv's fist, and fired smoothly. The shell passed precisely through the center of the hoop and impacted in the ocean as intended.

Dr. Sanada and Dr. Rara leapt to their feet, praising her marksmanship. Dr. Rara commented, "You've become a very good pilot."

"Without a doubt," agreed Dr. Sanada.

"Thank you, sirs," Ms. Hayase smiled, "but you really should be thanking Kazuki and Yayoi. They've been very helpful to me."

"Don't be too modest or we'll stop praising you," joked Dr. Sanada.

The praise did not cease, for when Ms. Hayase returned Zinv to the laboratory, she was complimented by Kazuki and Yayoi in person. They had been able to make it to the laboratory that day, unlike many other days.

"Your dedication is quite impressive," Yayoi told her. "Aiming a long range weapon requires a great deal of concentration even under tranquil circumstances."

"Zinv agrees," Kazuki said, "that you're very good." Coming from the robot himself, that was praise enough.

"You've both helped me so much since the beginning, putting my name forward and then training me," Ms. Hayase said warmly, "and I am very grateful."

"It was our pleasure," Yayoi assured her.

"Hey, Kazuki, it's your turn now!" Dr. Sanada called into the hangar. Kazuki agreed and jauntily stepped into Zinv. They proceeded to run tests on the high-powered activities Kazuki could do in Zinv.

* * *

On the next day, Mrs. Nanjyoin visited the Sanada household, finding Dr. Rara already there.

After everyone was greeted and comfortable, Mrs. Nanjyoin said, "I'm glad to see that you're all here. I've only today discovered an important clue that I believe explains the mysterious manifestations of artifact technology in the mainstream of society."

"Like the fuel delivery systems from the Core Robots?" Akane asked.

"And that personal digital assistant that just came on the market?" Dr. Rara inquired.

"I think it explains both amply. I was reading an interview with one of the engineers who worked on the new digital assistant. In it, he explains that he gained most of the designs for the holographic technology and touch interface from a dream he had."

"A dream?" Dr. Sanada was interested even more than before.

"A quote which stood out was, 'Many good ideas come in dreams. We couldn't even have gotten these ideas off the ground if other people hadn't been dreaming up the technology we needed to make the device.'" Mrs. Nanjyoin quoted from the article.

"All the scientists and engineers who had these dreams turned out to be people who were investigating the touch interface I found on my artifact battleship! Am I right?" Dr. Rara enthused.

"That is correct, doctor, and I thank you again for supplying me with the names so I could confirm that," Mrs. Nanjyoin nodded.

"The guy who came up with the fuel delivery system," Dr. Sanada reminisced, "helped me design the Core Robots based on the artifact technology we found. So I suppose he thought he dreamed up that solution as well."

"People all over the world must be remembering the secrets of artifact technology they learned before the universes were put together," Akane comprehended, "and are explaining these memories as dreams."

"From the brief survey I've done," Mrs. Nanjyoin confirmed, "the Earth's technological level is already slightly higher than it was at this time in the universe without the artifacts."

"I'm relieved that there was such a simple explanation," Dr. Rara commented.

"Our progress on the starship should be greatly accelerated by these technological advances," Mrs. Nanjyoin suggested.

Dr. Sanada shot out of his seat, his fist raised in the air, and was shortly joined by Dr. Rara, both men exclaiming, "We'll make it to another solar system yet!"

* * *

Two evenings later, Kazuki was up late into the night surfing the Internet. He was surprised by an instant message from Dr. Rara.

"Have you finished your parallel world story yet?" the message read.

Kazuki was flabbergasted, and typed in, "How did you know about it?"

Dr. Rara's reply explained, "Mitsuki Sanada told my daughter, and she told me. I read the part of the story you had posted online some time ago, and I was wondering if you had written any more since then."

Gulping, Kazuki typed in, "No. I've been way too busy with schoolwork." He had no idea that anyone was still reading the story, certainly not one of the story's characters.

"When you can, do finish the story. I know how it ended, of course, but you tell the tale well, and your perspective on the war between your uncle and myself is interesting. I have to go now, so have a good evening," was Dr. Rara's final message before he signed off.

Kazuki leaned back in his seat. Now he wished he had portrayed Uncle Rara in a more flattering light. He had included his experiences about the time when he was a prisoner of war, and his realization that Dr. Rara was really a good person. It was quite possible, though, that his uncle was still miffed by his portrayal in the story. Kazuki wanted to faithfully report what had happened. He hoped desperately that Dr. Rara understood that Kazuki knew he wasn't an evil dictator.

Would Ayuko read the story? Kazuki groaned in horror at the thought. He was in trouble if she ever did that!


	28. Chapter 14 Begin

Chapter 14

Mitsuki Rara had already left, but Pres. Rara waited until Kent had walked out of sight before he gave voice to his question. Ayuko, Kent, Mitsuki, and he had just been talking about the plans for the next battle. Again, Pres. Rara was going to make it follow close on the heels of the last conflict, so that the Earth Defense Force would not have much time to recoup their losses.

"Ayuko," Pres. Rara gave voice to his question now that Kent had departed, "you don't suppose that he and our daughter...?" His voice trailed off.

"Suppose?" Ayuko laid a hand on his arm. "Dear, I'm sure of it."

They both smiled happily at each other.

For the past two days, Kent had been wracked with indecision. He had mulled over and over what he had told the bodyguard trio the day before yesterday. Kent knew that everything he said was right, a very real risk. Still, there were always risks to everything, wasn't there?

The only thing that Kent was afraid of was failing to love as he ought. The obstacles he had enumerated to the trio were real, and could cause her a world of hurt. The RaRa Army might very well be destroyed if he were to follow the course they proposed.

On the other hand, perhaps Kent's proximity to her was a providence, not an obstacle. Upon yet another hand, bad ideas tended to be bad ideas no matter what the situation. This was often the trouble with Kent's deliberations; he began to run out of hands to turn to.

For the millionth time, his soul cried out for guidance. Kent was almost ready to give up, to just ignore the problem posed him and live in denial. Then his pleas for guidance were answered with a single thought. It was so startling that Slade came to an abrupt stop where he was, his mouth agape. He closed his mouth and drummed his fingers on the wall of the corridor as he considered the thought.

In any case, said this thought to Kent as his crafty expression stole onto his face, who said he had to go about this as the trio proposed?

With that thought, the answer to his cry, Kent strode off, his destination changed from the lounge.

* * *

When next he saw the trio, about an hour later, they appeared overjoyed; Ryla actually appeared to be crying with happiness for their friend. Kent chuckled softly. They really were the best of friends, he decided.

"You asked her out!" Alice burbled.

They were good friends, but Kent could not resist yanking their chain, as he considered they had yanked his quite a bit before this point was reached. The crafty expression had gotten a good feel for his head, and settled in quite comfortably. While his crafty expression put its feet up on his nose and leaned back in his eyes and clasped an cold drink in his cheeks, his voice began to feign confusion.

"Ladies, I'm not sure what you're talking about! Hm. Oh! We ate lunch together just now, but we've all done that many times! That couldn't be what you meant by asking her out, right?"

"Are we going to have to beat a confession out of you?" laughed Mena.

Kent now turned to mock shame: "All right, all right! I confess- that I'm so poor I could only split a hamburger with her for lunch!" Thankfully this was just a joke- there had been rather more food there.

"We are going to have to beat it out of him," decided Mena. "If we win in the next simulation, you have to tell Ms. Mitsuki that you love her."

"I want everyone to know that I love Mitsuki Rara!" Alice declared in her imitation of Kent.

Kent informed them with a laugh, "I only gamble with my life."

* * *

The next battle, two days later, was brief. One of the Core Robots tripped over a parked car as it began to run forward. The three were in tight formation, crowded into an alleyway, hoping to bring overwhelming force to bear on a jewel-cannon robot and then work to the rear of Himc. When one robot tripped, it collided with the others, bringing them all down. Kent snapped off a high-energy bullet at the pileup, blasting off three arms and two and a half legs. Both jewel-cannon robots galloped up, steadily firing their purple beams into the group and causing further damage. The newest Core Robot pilot was so panicked that she hit her personal callsign even after Cmdr. Sanada's callsign came through. Kent felt unaccountably guilty for winning because of that embarrassing happenstance. He pushed the thought aside, knowing that if he had faced a really tough battle, he'd wish it were as easy as the one just past.

"They won that battle," noted Inspector Yamano, shaking her head.

Yayoi felt deeply ashamed, and her honor told her she had to turn to Cmdr. Sanada, bow, and apologize for what had just happened.

"It's not your fault or hers," Cmdr. Sanada assured her. "She only got what, four days of full training? All that time knowing what the big robot was capable of. I'd be scared to fight it!"

"Commander, perhaps they'd be less alarmed if you had better morale yourself," groused Inspector Yamano.

* * *

Pres. Rara was in hysterics over the battle he'd just won. "Stupid Sanada's robots tripping over each other! Did you install the Ancient Clumsiness Activator of Doom into them, Sanada? Or perhaps he found a new artifact that gives his robots the awesome powers of comedic timing!"

* * *

Cmdr. Sanada was talking with his scientific staff at that moment. The latest readings from the instruments proved that over the past several weeks, there had been a slow but steady and definite trend upwards in the dimensional distortions. Nobody was quite sure what to make of it. Some of the staff was of the opinion that the equipment was simply faulty, while others presented more bizarre theories. None of their oddest theories could top the wild fancies of Cmdr. Sanada, but as there was nothing useful to be done with the scientific data, he had to move on to other official duties.

Mrs. Nanjyoin poured her granddaughter Yayoi a large cup of tea as they tried to work out how to confront a hulking superweapon. The commander had given them the scientific team's report on Himc's high-energy bullet a few days ago. The report didn't manage to note much beside what they had already seen; it was a fast-moving bullet that needed a long time to reload, and was created by the incredible technology of an artifact. Yayoi wondered again how to use all of this information in the larger strategic picture, as her grandmother wondered how to keep everyone's spirits up.

Massive cranes and bulldozers finally managed to move the Core Robots out of the street and into their hangars, and refugees began to trickle back to their homes. D walked to her room in the base dormitories and sat in it motionlessly for hours. Taciturn as D was in her bioroid body, lately her spirits had been even more depressed than usual. It was not easy to see the robot that had killed her friends millenia ago, now winning effortlessly, and herself powerless to prevent it. She stared unblinkingly at the wall.

* * *

Inspector Yamano sat in her office and gritted her teeth as yet another squawk of an angry female voice clawed its way through the phone line towards her. When it paused for a moment, Inspector Yamano inquired, "And why, Ms. Plath, did you leave your car parked in the middle of a narrow alleyway?"

There was more angry cawing and carping, and Inspector Yamano remarked, "Obviously, however many times it escaped destruction in the past is of little concern now. When you left it out there, you took the risk that it might get damaged." There was an inarticulate screech, and Inspector Yamano hastily conceded, "Totally destroyed, even. The point is that the United Nations broadcast its warning about the impending battle so that this sort of thing would not happen. You had the opportunity to move the vehicle."

Akane was getting very frustrated talking with this Ms. Gwyneth Plath. "I seriously doubt it was even legal for your vehicle to be parked there in such a small street; you probably violated traffic laws. Under international law, civil suits may not be filed for destruction of property during a military action, so your threat has no legal standing."

The angry woman's response to this would've done an opera singer proud, if the opera singer valued volume and sheer passion over tone, note, and overall pleasantness.

* * *

"Slade, you haven't been feeling ill, or odd, have you?" Pres. Rara asked him when next he saw him.

"No, sir," Kent replied with certainty. The question set itself up for a wealth of comedic possibilities, but as some might be turned against him, he wished to refrain from joking. "That cut on my head healed a long time ago. It hasn't given me any trouble; no fainting or difficulty remembering things. I feel fine."

"Hm, I was just wondering. There's been a lot of instability between dimensions ever since you came to this world. Not all at once, it's just been slowly increasing. It just occurred to me that it might affect you. Let me know right away if it does."

"I will sir. I don't really feel any different than I did when I first came to this world," Kent reassured him.

"You don't feel any differently?" Pres. Rara looked rakishly at him.

Kent returned the look. "Not physically, sir." So apparently he knew about the date, Kent thought to himself. It was just as well; Kent was glad to know that he approved. He would've been spectacularly embarrassed if his actions got his boss in trouble with her boss, not to mention potentially throwing him out of a job.

At that moment, Mitsuki Rara walked down the hall. Pres. Rara looked at her fondly, and then excused himself with perhaps too much ceremony and alacrity to convince one that he didn't know what was occurring between the new pilot and his daughter. Kent thought he heard a booted footfall behind a nearby doorway, but he couldn't say for certain if Mitsuki was being tailed by her bodyguards.

"Please do tell us if you feel ill," Mitsuki Rara told Kent. "We're all very concerned about your health." Kent couldn't be certain, but he thought she might be blushing slightly. It was unfortunate, he decided, that he had not only bad eyesight, but also partial colorblindness.

"I assure you that I shall," Kent gallantly obliged. "Should I drop dead, I'll tell you first. As I'm still alive, I was wondering if you'd care to join me outdoors. It's rather nice weather."

Her eyes expanded in happiness, and now Kent was fairly certain she was blushing. "I would enjoy that. Just give me some time and I can make us a lunch!"

"I'll look forward to that," Kent told her as she departed.

Kent had decided that the best thing he could do would be to begin dating very subtly and quietly, simply by asking her to join him for lunch two days ago. He couldn't be certain that what he felt for her was not simply a wash of hormones, and he wasn't sure she thought much of him. Kent thought this strategy of starting very small was far safer than the strategy proposed by her bodyguards. The bodyguards seemed to want a full romantic onslaught from the very beginning, and Kent feared the onslaught might have as its result indiscriminate carnage.

He was prepared to take things slowly. No longer considering himself a prisoner in this world, Kent still was keenly aware he had quite a lot of time before he could even hope to return to his old universe, assuming he ever could. Whatever happened, he wasn't going to jilt her. There was still plenty of time to see if they even liked each other that well, let alone what to do about traveling between universes.

For her part, Mitsuki Rara seemed to be entirely more enthusiastic about spending time with him than he had hoped. He knew she was nice and went to a lot of trouble for others. She had seen in him these same qualities as well as a determination and loyalty that she admired him for. From observing him all this time, she knew he held honor and decency in high regard. It was some comfort to her to think that a good person was in charge of what was clearly the deadliest weapon of the RaRa Army. Mitsuki Rara continued collecting and sorting ingredients as she thought. Kent cared deeply for his family, as she did for her parents. Her love for her parents only made her sadder when she considered the fact that despite all the propaganda she spoke, truly their only purpose was to conquer the world.

Mitsuki Rara finished folding the cloth over the lunchboxes. He had not believed her before when she tried to tell him what was happening. Perhaps he would come to believe it himself the longer he was there, in the midst of evil. She hoped, even if Kent did not love her, that he would come to see just what a horrible travesty the RaRa Army was. She hoped it though he might come to despise her and his own self for their furthering its evil cause.

* * *

Inspector Yamano wondered however this enraged Ms. Plath had gotten her cellphone number. She'd have to search for it on the Internet when this call was done and see if it was listed anywhere a civilian could access it.

"Guess what, Inspector Yamano!" was the greeting of the riled madam. "I just joined The People's Committee for a Chaotic Overthrow of this World by the RaRa Army."

"You actually want that ugly old man to rule the world?" leapt out of Inspector Yamano's mouth. "He's not going to compensate you for that car, you know."

Ms. Plath had apparently been practicing talking at very high frequencies so that both humans and dogs could hear her distinctly. "They gave me a very nice looking volunteer's T-shirt. That's more than the Earth Defense Force has given me! What's more, the Committee gives me respect!"

"No, I don't think even a handsome T-shirt comes close to respect or compensation for an automobile. If we're comparing material benefits, the United Nations clearly respects me far more than the RaRa Army respects you."

"You will bow before the might of the RaRa Army!" was Ms. Plath's high-pitched claim as she hung up: stolen, of course, from Ms. Rah.

Akane put away her cellphone. She allowed herself one point of admiration for Cmdr. Sanada, which was that his determination to prevent the Raras' victory was as strong as her own. They were not going to lose.

* * *

She reminded herself of that as she stood in the control room of the Earth Defense Force one week later, wondering what the ugly Rara's next stroke would be in this war. She didn't have long to wait; a flood of jewel-cannon robots was upon them.

"30 enemy units confirmed," reported one of the sensor officers.

A giddy surge of emotion buoyed Inspector Yamano's soul. The big unit didn't seem to be there. "No sign of the big robot?" she asked with fierce expectancy.

"No, ma'am, it's trailing along behind them," the same sensor officer replied.

Now Akane could see it on the screen, trailing almost leisurely behind the purple-shouldered robots. "And why wasn't it confirmed?" she groaned, her hopes dashed. "It's too big to miss, neh?"

The officer stuttered a moment, not knowing how to say he thought it so obvious that the big unit was coming that he had said nothing about it.

"It'll be all right," Cmdr. Sanada said breezily. His calmness simultaneously infuriated and inspired Akane. "Rara," continued Cmdr. Sanada judiciously, "has just given us 30 targets to shoot at."

Yayoi nodded. She decided to use the same tactics that had worked so well against the first large mass of those small units. She ordered Unit 3 to charge the front of the formation, while Unit 2 circled to their left flank and Unit 1 to the right flank. They might not be able to get the big robot, but they'd annihilate the little ones a second time.

* * *

Slade remained in the rear of the formation, as Ms. Rah had ordered him to do. He saw the three Core Robots begin to attack as they had before, in the battle when they decimated the first shipment of jewel-cannon robots. Slade was here to make sure the same thing did not happen to the second shipment. He fired a high-energy bullet at the white robot, and it leapt aside. It had successfully dodged the bullet, but Kent's main intent was still fulfilled. The white robot's forward momentum had been lost, and it would need time to reach its full charging speed again. Kent quickly served the other two Core Robots in the same manner, not having dwelt overlong upon his observations of Unit 1. It was growing harder and harder to remember that he had ever piloted it.

Within the space of six seconds, Himc's long-range firepower had changed the course of the battle. The Core Robots had been attempting to outflank on two sides the main group of jewel-cannon robots, but the high-energy bullets had slowed them critically. Now the main group was following the tactics Ms. Rah had decided upon in the wake of the first shipment's fiasco. The van charged the Core Robot in the middle, which once again was Unit 3, while the remainder of the jewel-cannon robots split apart into two columns. Each column charged one of the two remaining Core Robots. After many joint simulations and discussions, the plan moved perfectly.

The enemy, of course, had also been trained well. This time, even the newest pilot kept her head; the Core Robots fired their grenade launchers at the incoming RaRa forces, bringing many down. Himc, however, was present. Kent was worried about hitting his own forces, so close to the Core Robots, so he mostly used his medium range beam to cut off the retreat for the Core Robots. When he did this to Unit 1, it turned abruptly, firing twice and destroying four robots. Two other jewel-cannon robots had already flanked it, and finished off Unit 1.

Kent turned towards Unit 2, and scored his beam into the road behind it. The robot promptly dodged to its right, avoiding incoming purple beams, and also managed to move backwards slightly. Kent fired, attempting to hit the red robot, but it lunged forward. Seven jewel-cannon robots ran up to it and shot it. They disabled through sheer force of numbers Unit 2.

D had run and shot calmly into the van of the jewel-cannon robots as they charged her, quickly changing position so their return fire missed. She ran away and ducked behind an edifice. The robot piloted by Mitsuki Rara's bodyguard trio ran towards the building she was sheltered behind.

"Blue robot, I know you're not ready for us-" began Alice with belligerence.

Unit 3 had now run down a side street, and was out of sight of the trio for a moment. The trio ran down the side street, their guns blazing, but they entirely missed the blue robot. It was crouched behind the corner at the opposite end of the street, and as soon as the jewel-cannon robot appeared in the side street, D fired once. Above the trio, the light indicating their robot's viability abruptly darkened.

"I guess she was ready," Alice completed her statement quietly.

The few jewel-cannon robots remaining of those assigned to attack D lost her in the maze of the city, shrouded by the fog of war. Ms. Rah called on Slade to take care of D's robot. He was able to see over several buildings, so he was able to locate her, and severed her robot's right arm and leg with a sweep of his beam. Just then, Cmdr. Sanada's callsign came through to his cockpit, as it did to everyone in the RaRa Army.

D's fearful expression left her face. She knew Himc was capable of far worse destruction, but for now it was being kept in check by the rules of war Cmdr. Sanada and Rara made up. She wondered if Himc would long obey those strictures.

* * *

This time it was Slade who bushwhacked the trio. They didn't look particularly despondent, but Kent carried through with his intention of cheering them up anyways.

"There's always next time," the trio heard Kent say.

"That's very true," Ryla answered, pleased. "Thank you, Slade."

* * *

Kumu was quite pleased with the direction the battle had taken. Slade, danger though he was, was restricted by his ridiculous scruples. Even if there was not that, he was restricted by her limiters, whose existence he didn't even suspect: the limiters that prevented most males from piloting robots. He was devastation kept in check and turned upon Sanada's army. The Earth Defense Force was practically on the run after losing so many battles.

Not all battles, of course, were visible and upon the front lines. Kumu perused some papers she had purloined, gathered in her personal shadow war. She knew the world was already losing faith in the Earth Defense Force, and that most of it was already under the control of the RaRa Army. It remained only for the entire planet to turn decisively against Sanada, and when it did, victory would be very close.

* * *

Mena, some weeks later, was walking down the corridors of the base to rejoin Ryla and Alice for another chat with their friend Ms. Hayase, and saw Mitsuki Rara near at hand. She was smiling greatly, and seemed to be holding her hand. Mena looked at the hand, squealed loudly, and rushed forward to hug her leader and friend. Ms. Hayase and the rest of the trio heard her and emerged from the room. They soon saw that now Mitsuki Rara wore an engagement ring.

* * *

Kent and Pres. Rara chatted comfortably alone. "Don't think," Pres. Rara was saying, "that this makes you high and mighty. She's still going to be your boss."

"I never thought anything different," Kent told him, adding, "I knew perfectly well that being married would only present her with more opportunities to boss me around!"

Both men laughed raucously. Mitsuki Rara entered the room as they were still laughing. "What could you both be talking about?" she asked.

"You, of course," Kent said, standing up to greet his fiancee.

In some ways, the progression was entirely logical- in others it was extremely rapid. Only a few weeks had sufficed to move Kent from refusing to even date his commander to asking her to marry him. If someone had challenged him upon this change of mind, he would've probably said something like, "Another sad case of a pretty face subverting sober judgment." In reality, he had decided he knew her, and was certain that love between them could and did exist. The RaRa Army had not imploded in favoritism and gossip, and so Kent could sense no other obstacles between them.

Mitsuki Rara looked at him. "Do I want to know what you two were saying about me?"

"No," Kent smiled at her. She returned the smile, but sighed slightly at the secret being kept.

Pres. Rara stood up. "I'll tell you anyways," he said expansively. "We were just affirming that you are still in command."

"As ever," Kent quipped.

She smiled again as her father continued. "At tomorrow's battle, I'm going to need everyone working together with all their might. Can you do it?"

There was very little hope as yet of changing anyone or anything here in the RaRa Army. Mitsuki Rara was still certain that things could still turn out better than they were now. That was why she had accepted Kent's proposal; she believed that in time, he would do what was right, because that was what he always tried to do, even now when he was alone in an odd new world. It was what she had been doing for so long in her own home.

"Yes," Mitsuki Rara told her father. "We'll do our best. Right, Kent?"

"Of course," Kent nodded.

* * *

Standing in the expanded Core Robot Hanger, Inspector Yamano breathed in delight as she examined the five new Core Robots. Cmdr. Sanada walked up behind her, only now free of other duties so he could do the duty of examining the robots. He asked, "Do you like them?"

"Of course I do!" Akane exclaimed. "They're excellent models. They should be able to push back that ugly old man."

Yayoi joined them. "Inspector Yamano," she commented, "perhaps the time is right for us to name the units."

"Yes," Akane said with some animation, "that green one there should be-"

"Huh?" said a confused Cmdr. Sanada. "It's already Unit 4."

A horrified expression doused Akane's face, while a merely depressed one crossed Yayoi's face.

"Yes, and then the next one's Unit 5, and the next one-" Cmdr. Sanada was cut off by Inspector Yamano.

"Commander, those names have no individuality! No personality!" she protested.

"Sure they do," Cmdr. Sanada said easily, "Unit 5 is a different name and even a different color from Unit 2, wouldn't you say? And then Unit 6, that's a different name from all of them. See, they all have their own individual names."

Akane fumed in amazement while Yayoi merely looked askance at the commander. Finding voice again, Akane wailed, "You named D this same way too, with a temporary name and then procrastinating and then declaring the problem solved! Look how she turned out! They've got to get better names than her!"

"D's all right. She's just fine. Isn't she, Yayoi?" Cmdr. Sanada turned to her.

Yayoi's unease at this question was less from her being placed in the middle of an argument between two superiors, but more for honest concern for D's welfare. "Sir," she explained, "while her piloting skills remain excellent, since the last battle she's been even more withdrawn than usual."

Cmdr. Sanada nodded in concern, while Akane hammered home her advantage, "Do you see, Commander! You have to do something!"

He nodded again. "Yes, I've tried talking to D a few days ago, but you're right, maybe trying again is a good idea. Thank you both for bringing that to my attention. Until next time!" He promptly and hurriedly walked towards the dormitories to find D.

Inspector Yamano growled in frustration, while Yayoi's face had turned to resignation. "We did our best, Inspector," she comforted her.

Akane huffed and decided, "Perhaps next time we'll just have Mrs. Nanjyoin name anything before it even gets into his hands."

* * *

On the morrow, Ms. Rah declared battle to be joined, and Himc and many jewel-cannon robots took the field. At first, they could not see any sign of the Earth Defense Force. There was next a whooshing sound as eight Core Robots leapt off the ground, surmounted several skyscrapers, and aimed their grenade launchers squarely upon Himc. They fired several volleys synchronously, each round impacting Himc at exactly the same time.

They were only able to do this for a few moments. In the next, Kent had fired a high-energy bullet at the rooftop upon which Unit 5, a black Core Robot, stood. It was the robot closest to him. The rooftop showered debris, and Unit 5 toppled forwards, hitting the ground with a slam. One of its feet had been disintegrated, and the other was melted beyond recognition past the ankle. Kent had now come within beam range, and severed its limbs while it remained on its face.

Meanwhile, the jewel-cannon robots had charged the other Core Robots. Yayoi ordered the Core Robots to fall back from the rooftops and engage any enemies attacking them.

The bodyguard trio and two other jewel-cannon robots fired upon D's Unit 3, but the blue robot leapt off its skyscraper, returning fire during its controlled descent. The other Core Robots fought similarly.

* * *

Pres. Rara noticed that one of the new enemy units was colored hot pink. He chuckled at that.

"Why are you laughing?" Ayuko asked him. "Nothing good has happened for our side for several seconds now."

Rara was astonished to realize he had no idea why a huge pink robot commanding vast destructive power was funny. It simply was. "I don't know," he eventually said.

"Ms. Rah," Pres. Rara then asked from his war room, "have those new robots got any advantages over the old ones?"

"They haven't displayed any yet, sir," Ms. Rah informed him. "There are five pitiful new units in addition to the puny three. Of those eight robots that stand against your might, one has already been dispatched."

Ayuko examined the war room screen. Each of the five new robots was colored differently; a green robot, a yellow robot, the now-disabled black robot, a purple robot, and a pink robot.

* * *

Kent nodded in approval of the color choices on the new robots. Being so distinct, it would be very difficult to mistake them for each other, even for people with some colorblindness like him. The pink robot was nearly an exception to this rule, but no matter.

Ms. Rah noticed that the pink robot was only being attacked by one RaRa robot, and seemed to be holding it off. She ordered Slade, "Attack the pink robot!"

"Yes, Commander," Slade agreed. He hesitated a moment, checking to be sure which robot really was the pink one, and rapidly pivoted Himc towards the correct robot. The rotation wedged Himc's golden sheath against the buildings on either side of it. Slade tried moving forward and backward and rotating again, but Himc wouldn't budge.

"What is wrong with Himc!" Pres. Rara demanded; all the data on his screen indicated its functions were nominal.

Slade was humiliated. "I'm stuck, Commander," was all he could tell Ms. Rah.

The green robot, which Slade had been attacking before Ms. Rah's order, fired upon Himc's back to no avail.

Yayoi ordered, "Unit 4, good instincts, but break off your attack! Assist Unit 3!"

D, unemotionally piloting Unit 3, had managed to destroy one of her three pursuers. The other two, including the bodyguard trio, were still attacking. D leapt over a building. The two jewel-cannon robots followed, but D had quickly turned around and crouched. She brought down another of the two jewel-cannon robots.

Yayoi carefully noted the situation that Himc was in. It might be possible in the future to more fully exploit it.

Slade now used his tentacles to push the buildings off of Himc and the beam to cut the buildings away. He managed to free himself relatively quickly, but it felt like an eternity.

Unit 4 was still running to D's aid. Ms. Rah told the jewel-cannon robot facing the pink robot to go and assist in taking out the blue robot. Himc took the place of the departing jewel-cannon robot, unperturbed by the Core Robot's grenades. Without even using his tentacles, Kent sliced off the pink robot's arms and legs with his medium-range beam.

D sprang up from her crouch, turning to face the jewel-cannon robot of the bodyguard trio, the last of the three that had been pursuing her. They fired at each other and dodged. As they did so, the trio fired again, not even really expecting that they'd actually manage to hit. Their purple beams did indeed strike Unit 3, and it collapsed to the ground. D's robot lay motionless.

The jewel-cannon that had been coming to fight the blue robot instead attacked Unit 4. It was the RaRa robot who won that engagement.

* * *

Cmdr. Sanada stood up from his seat. "What're D's readings?" he demanded.

"Her life signs are good," the officer declared, "and it doesn't look like her life sympathy is adversely affected. Unit 3's core link, however, has been damaged, disabling the robot. Core Unit ejecting."

* * *

"Hooray!" shouted Alice. "We finally got that blue robot."

"We knocked it out of the park!" Mena laughed.

Ryla, though glad they were winning, said nothing. After all, the blue robot had defeated them only the battle before.

* * *

"How many backwashes?" Inspector Yamano asked.

"Three," was the reply.

"Three too many," sighed the commander.

"Regroup!" Yayoi ordered. "All Core Robots, meet at the first point!" She was referring to a position previously agreed upon with all the pilots- an intersection of streets that also happened to be something of a border between the urban area and the suburbs beyond. Yayoi hoped that the availability of both open ground and cover would give them some advantage.

* * *

"The poor doctor must be so disappointed," Ayuko said with sarcasm aplenty. "How sad."

Pres. Rara laughed. "Did he really think more worthless copies would help?" he joked.


	29. Chapter 14 Cont

Continuation of Chapter 14

Himc and the remaining jewel-cannon robots pursued the Core Units to their rendezvous point. They managed to bring down the purple unit along the way.

* * *

"Units 1, 2, and 7 have reached the first point!" reported a sensor officer in the Earth Defense Force base.

* * *

Pres. Rara looked at the screen in satisfaction. Now only the white, red, and yellow robots remained. "Ms. Rah," he directed, "order all our forces to surround and attack them!"

* * *

"Surround the enemies of the glorious Pres. Rara!" shouted Ms. Rah.

The RaRa Army did as bidden, or at least attempted to. The three robots were now grouped together, and had cover behind the last few buildings of the urban area. They were able to fire upon the RaRa units charging them as they moved towards them through the skyscrapers. Kent employed his high-energy bullet in an attempt to destroy their cover. It succeeded; as the buildings they hid behind began to crumble, the three Core Robots fled, and the jewel-cannons were able to pick off the white robot.

The Core Robots had enough time to pick off nearly all of the jewel-cannon robots. Only five were able to continue the fight, among them the bodyguard trio.

Had Himc never existed, Yayoi would've used the second and third points for a variety of other purposes: outflanking, retreats, regrouping. On this occasion, she would use them to split her own forces. The big RaRa unit was still intact, so the fight technically could not be won, but they might be able to thin the RaRa ranks even further. She understood the Commander's thinking; if they were to retreat simply because the big robot couldn't be beaten, they'd never stop retreating. They simply had to do the best they could in each battle until they were forced to send the callsign.

"Unit 7," Yayoi ordered, "Head to the second point. Unit 2, head to the third point."

The second point was to the north of the first point. The third point was southeast of the first point, and relatively close to the eastern border of today's combat zone. It was also very close to the suburbs, but well within the evacuation zone.

Pres. Rara watched as the yellow robot headed north and the red robot went southeast. Ms. Rah gave her orders, "Himc, pursue the red robot. All others attack the yellow one. We will crush them with our incredible power!"

Slade always pretended he hadn't heard the insane rantings of Ms. Rah and just concentrated on following the orders. "In pursuit, Commander," he acknowledged.

* * *

A new display suddenly appeared upon Pres. Rara's war room screen, leaving the rest of it displaying the battle. The new subscreen indicated a sudden rise in spatial distortion rate on the battlefield.

* * *

Unit 7 and the jewel-cannon robots pursuing it exchanged fire and chased each other. Himc attempted to hit Unit 2 with its beam but failed. Slade extended the tentacles.

* * *

In the Earth Defense Force control room, one officer announced that the dimensional state was changing drastically, another that the dimensional bend was increasing.

* * *

Deep underneath Pres. Rara's feet, Kumu turned a solid yellow.

* * *

D, resting within the cockpit of her disabled blue robot, felt the disturbance, and her unearthly eye flared.

Strange motes of light began to flicker in the area around Slade and Unit 2.

Pres. Rara and Ayuko exchanged glances of consternation. What was happening to the fabric of the universe on that battlefield?

* * *

In the dimension Kent originally came from, Dr. Sanada was pacing from instrument to instrument in his lab, babbling on cellphone to Dr. Rara. Dr. Rara was doing the same thing, except he was pacing in no conscious direction and his assistants were calling out data of note.

Dr. Sanada cackled with glee as he looked upon every instrument in his lab, each one blinking, winking and warbling. He said into his cellphone, "The spatial parameter is changing like nothing you've ever seen before, Rara." Dr. Sanada suddenly glared at thin air, and began to shout, "Hey, I said it first! I definitely noticed the spatial parameter's change first!"

"Stop that and tell me if your spatial searcher is working correctly!" Dr. Rara told him from his end of the line.

"Still not working, sir!" one of Dr. Rara's assistants sang out nervously.

"Sorry, I didn't mean you," Dr. Rara shouted to carry his voice over the pandemonium.

"Well, I'm looking at my spatial searcher anyway," Dr. Sanada mumbled.

"I did mean you!" Dr. Rara decried this lack of effective communication in a time of crisis.

"Not working!" Dr. Sanada and Dr. Rara's assistant determined simultaneously.

* * *

Dr. Rara's counterpart, Pres. Rara, ordered, "Concentrate all of our dimensional scanning equipment on that sector." Before he spoke, a small display labeled "Spacetime Radar" had also appeared on the screen, joining a multitude of other displays. After he spoke, every backup piece of equipment attuned to the battlefield.

* * *

Cmdr. Sanada had just given similar orders. He now speculated, "I wonder if this is a natural outgrowth of the readings we've been getting lately."

An Earth Defense Force scanner officer reported, "Faint echoes on spacetime radar!"

* * *

Himc finally closed to grappling distance of Unit 2. As the tentacles shot forward, the air began to shimmer like a mirage; then there was a sudden flash of light, and when it was gone, Himc and the red robot it was chasing were gone.

Pres. Rara's jaw dropped open in shock. He could interpret the data on his spacetime radar display; it looked for a moment as though it was detecting echoes possibly of Himc and the Core Robot, but the echoes soon vanished. Ayuko's arms uncrossed and fell limply to her sides.

Ms. Rah shouted into her communications gear, "Himc, Himc, respond immediately! You are ordered to give some sort of response!"

* * *

Inspector Yamano took a step back. Commander Sanada hit the callsign button and shot out of his seat, demanding, "Can you get any life sign readings from Unit 2?"

"No life signs, no communications, no core unit telemetry! Space-time radar picking up faint echoes!" the sensor officer replied. Another announced, "Dimensional bend stabilizing at a high level!"

* * *

Kazuki Yotsuga, in a good mood, paused near a window on the second story of Dr. Sanada's house in the synthesis world. Having just gotten home from school, there was homework to do, but he could take a few moments of ease. He gazed out upon the street and caught his breath.

For the second time in his life, he was looking at himself. Kazuki Yotsuga, identical to him except that he was not dressed in a school uniform, stood upon the sidewalk, accompanied by his friends, also in street clothes. All of them were near the gate that led to the house. It didn't appear as though any of them wanted to enter, though; they were staring in rapt attention at something that lay in the opposite direction of the house. Kazuki followed their gaze and faintly cried, "Huh?".

Mitsuki Sanada heard Kazuki say something upstairs, but couldn't hear him clearly. She was about to ask what it was when she heard his voice from the street outside their gate, shouting, "Hah! I have wonderful luck!" Mitsuki Sanada, confused, proceeded with a measured tread to a downstairs window to check it out. She gasped as she saw a pinpoint of light reflected from the sun off of Himc's golden shell. Mitsuki Sanada saw Unit 2, the red robot she had piloted, being attacked. Unit 2 was fleeing desperately, and Himc was chasing it, firing its midrange beam in an attempt to hit it or at least slow it down. Neither robot was making noise or damaging anything, so neither was totally within this dimension.

She could also see Shiozaki, Izawa, and a Kazuki out on the sidewalk, staring in rapt attention at the battling robots. Mitsuki Sanada knew she had heard Kazuki's voice only seconds ago upstairs, yet now there was another Kazuki out there, not in a school uniform.

Kazuki, both of them, were seeing this scene as well. The fracas was some distance off, but without tall buildings, their line of sight was sufficient for the titanic display.

Dee approached Mitsuki Sanada, asking, "What is it-" then breaking off as she saw out the window herself. Kumu ran up to the window and began to bark loudly.

In her own house, Yayoi saw the sight, and immediately ran into Dr. Sanada's front yard for a better view.

Akane headed towards the sound of the barking. Kumu didn't usually bark much. Dee called, "Mom, you have to see this!"

Akane had a clear view of the window, several feet behind her daughters and the dog. She froze in shock, and a few seconds later managed to reply, "I see, dear." Mitsuki Rara joined them, and she gasped in surprise. Everyone had so much experience with Core Robots and Himc that they knew that Unit 2's dodging had slowed its speed enough that Himc could catch up, and that its tentacles were now in range. The tentacles shot forward.

Core Robot Unit 2 crashed to the ground under the impact of Himc's blow. The reverbations that Unit 2 created in the ground caused car alarms in a nearby radius to go off. Their multiple, varied, and loud noises created a cacophony, signaling to the surrounding neighborhood that an unknown terror had suddenly been unleashed from nothingness. To those inside the Sanada residence, however, the cacophony seemed suddenly to blend into a harmony: the wail of a parallel universe, howling at its counterpart.

Unit 2's pilot sent her personal callsign. Slade waited a moment for the corresponding RaRa Army acknowledgement, though it did not come. He then used his own in puzzlement. The battle was won.

"Commander, do you copy?" Slade asked. He frowned at the lack of response. "Slade to Ms. Rah, over." He waited, and there was nothing. "Slade to Ryla." He paused, then, "Slade to Mena." A third time he paused and said, "Slade to Alice." He paused again and added, "Slade to any RaRa units in range, over." There was only silence. "Slade to base, over." Again there was nothing. He grew seriously alarmed, and tried to raise his comrades yet again. He noted that the surrounding area looked different; less dust and debris than there had been seconds ago.

* * *

The telephone rang. Akane haltingly walked toward it and picked it up. She was surprised anew to discover that her husband was speaking at incredible volume into her ear.

"Hey, it's me! Is that you!" Not bothering to elucidate who me and you were, he talked over a babble of voices. "I'm at the island lab with Rara. We're getting readings that are incredible! The spacetime searcher may be malfunctioning, or maybe it's data just like we got before the worlds merged!"

"Not just like before they merged, stupid!" Dr. Rara could be heard shouting in the background. "If it was just like those days, then we'd be able to say, 'Oh, it was just like that when the Statue of Liberty returned to France!' The data we're getting, however, is different in several ways!"

"I know that- I'm not an idiot like you!" Dr. Sanada retorted. "I'm saying it is similar."

"I agree with everything except the idiot part!" Dr. Rara acknowledged.

Akane couldn't have said anything even if she wanted to.

"Oh," Dr. Sanada recalled, "tell Kazuki that Zinv's stood up and has started roaring. Now that's just like last time!"

"That's true, though I'm amazed someone as stupid as you could remember it," Dr. Rara agreed. Then he seemed to turn to one of the other researchers: "What did you say?"

"I have Mrs. Nanjyoin on another line!" Akane heard the researcher repeat.

"Put her on speakerphone!" Dr. Rara shouted.

"Not on speakerphone, you idiot!" Dr. Sanada countermanded. "She can't hear us over this madhouse!"

"I almost can't," Akane complained, beginning to recover.

There was another flash, and another hazing of the air, and Himc and Unit 2 vanished. Kazuki, and the downstairs watchers, saw the duplicates of Kazuki, Shiozaki, and Izawa, disappear similarly. Akane could hear the researchers announcing that all their readings were dropping to normal levels. After Dr. Sanada's sigh of disappointment, he commented to his wife, "Is there anything this exciting back at home?"

Everyone in the house had gathered around the phone now that there was nothing to see outside. Akane wondered where to begin the story.

* * *

Himc and Unit 2 reappeared, to the joy and relief of the RaRa Army and Earth Defense Force.

"Slade to base, the enemy has surrendered, do you read me?" Slade asked.

"You've returned!" announced Ms. Rah. "Glorious victory has come to Pres. Rara! Servant and foe alike have been returned to us!"

"Commander, what was going on? Were my communications being jammed?" Slade asked in great perplexion.

There was silence for a moment, until Ayuko commented, "No, you disappeared."


	30. Interlude 14

Interlude 14

Kazuki, Yayoi, the Mitsukis, Dee and Kumu, Akane and Dr. Sanada, Mrs. Nanjyoin, as well as Dr. Rara and Ayuko, were sitting on couches in Dr. Sanada's house. No one could say anything. Dr. Sanada tried to make all his guests feel even more welcome as they waited for the others, but words failed him.

Ms. Hayase eventually arrived, and was admitted. Her mood was especially somber, but this was a rare occasion in which everyone's mood exactly matched hers.

Twenty minutes later, Mitsuki Rara's concern broke the silence at last: "They should've been here some time ago. I hope they're all well."

As though summoned by her words, there was a ring at the doorbell, and Dr. Sanada opened the door to find the bodyguard trio. They all had party hats and bore large trays of food. Alice balanced hers in one hand so she could bring a noisemaker to her lips and let off a long, loud trill.

"We're sorry we're late," explained Ryla. "We were just getting all of the party supplies."

"Uhhhh, that's all right, please come in," Dr. Sanada told them. His words were reassuring, but his expression clearly indicated that he thought they should be wearing straitjackets.

The trio, undaunted, served the food trays to the guests. Everyone was flabbergasted, and took portions of the proffered refreshments with all the precision and unconsciousness of production-line robots. The somber mood was by now quite spoiled.

Ayuko was the first to recover. "How nice of you to treat us to this. What's the occasion?"

"It's the 'Discovery of Another Parallel World and More Robot Battles' party!" Mena explained.

"More heated battles turning friends into enemies and enemies into friends!" Alice chirped, and nearly swooned with the raw passion of it all.

"More battles?" Kazuki inquired, as though he were inquiring about the prospect of his being chomped upon by an army of Kumus.

"It'll be far more relaxing than having to look after a house full of troublemakers," Mitsuki Sanada put in her two cents.

Yayoi looked at Dr. Sanada. "I thought that was all over, doctor. Kazuki and Mitsuki ended all that; they combined these two worlds. How can there be another one?"

"It's because of the same theoretical principles that allowed there to be two worlds in the first place," Dr. Sanada told them all. "There never was any guarantee that more parallel worlds didn't exist. The two we were all involved in just happened to be very closely related to each other. Now it looks like other universes are drawing very close to ours."

"I thought everyone would be more happy about this," Ryla admitted.

"Unfortunately, if these symptoms persist, we may face the annihilation of multiple universes, just like the last time," Ms. Hayase explained.

"Kazuki can fix that just like last time! Boom boom, smash!" Alice said confidently.

Mitsuki Sanada arched an eyebrow. "Kazuki's not the only one who fixed it," she reminded them.

"I love piloting Zinv, but I'd hoped that my fighting days were over," Kazuki bemoaned.

Mitsuki Rara's voice quavered as she asked,"If the worlds are colliding again, does this mean that we'll have to destroy Zinv a second time?"

This time, even the trio was taken aback. The destruction of Zinv had nearly cost Kazuki his life.

Ayuko noted, "Even if he does survive a second time, we'll not be able to make it to outer space."

Dr. Rara protested, "Ms. Hayase has gotten us a lot of the data we need."

Mrs. Nanjyoin asked Kazuki, "Does Zinv have any opinion on our current situation?"

Kazuki looked at them all with determination. "Zinv says that if it's required, we're ready to do whatever it takes to keep everyone safe. But," he added with a nervous laugh, "we'd prefer not to blow ourselves up again if at all possible!"

"Of course you're not going to do that," Mitsuki Sanada commanded. "You'd probably do it at the wrong time anyways. Don't dare to do anything like that without telling us first." Her aura of command seemed more tinged with worry than with irritation.

"Uh, okay," Kazuki laughed nervously again.

Akane looked at Dee, who had been very quiet ever since the appearance of the robots. "Dee, do you have any information?"

"No," Dee shook her head sadly, and petted Kumu absently, "and I don't think Kumu does either."

Yayoi studied the scientists and asked, "How much concrete information do we have on these other universes?"

Ms. Hayase informed them all, "There are two other universes that we were able to detect. Most of the readings and all of the appearances came from one universe. There were faint echoes of a second one. With a few more weeks of data, I'll have enough information to begin running the crash simulation."

Mrs. Nanjyoin noted, "Then, for several more weeks, we can't take any action."

Dr. Rara pointed out, "We could use the dimensional transporter at my lab and send someone to investigate directly."

"An excellent suggestion," Dr. Sanada agreed.

"Ken," Akane disagreed, "if we act before we have enough information, then we'll have people spread across multiple universes without anything useful to do! Mrs. Nanjyoin is right; we need information before we act."

"Mom, Dad," Dee asked softly, close to tears. "Where do you suppose Zinv was in that other world?"

"Dee," Akane spoke, confused and sympathetic, "I should think he'd be right where we found him: underneath the base."

Kazuki took a deep breath, and said, "Dee, I'm sorry. I think you're right. If I existed in that other world, Zinv probably didn't." Zinv was his counterpart, and existed in the world where he had not existed. If he existed in that world, then Zinv probably didn't, and that other Kazuki couldn't draw on Zinv's strength to overcome the limiter and pilot robots. Kazuki hadn't even known Zinv for that long, and already knew how terrible it was to lose Zinv. Dee sniffled.

"Dee," Dr. Sanada said tenderly, "Zinv might just be asleep under the base in that other world."

She nodded. Again there was quiet for a moment. Dee smiled, trying to let everyone know that she was all right. "Zinv and Kazuki are here right now, after all," she reminded everyone.

"That's right," Ryla said. "We're all well and happy." She and Alice and Mena served yet more off of their trays, and this time the people were more at ease about accepting.

"Kazuki," Yayoi eyed him, "one of the things I found most surprising was that you were apparently playing truant from school. I find it hard to believe you could change out of your uniform so soon after school had ended."

"No," Mitsuki Sanada frowned, "what was most surprising was that you let your friends come anywhere near this house."

"How am I responsible for what the other me did?" Kazuki cried. "I never am a truant, and Izawa and Shiozaki followed Dee home that one time! Besides, that's what happened in this world! I have absolutely no control over what the other me did!"

"You're always ordering Zinv around," muttered Dr. Rara.

"That's not the same thing!" Kazuki insisted. "He's already doing what I'm thinking of. We both think alike."

"So Zinv is controlling you," Ayuko deduced.

"Big sister," Akane growled, "that's not what it's like at all."

"The thing that most surprised me," Mitsuki Rara spoke up, "was that Kazuki wasn't piloting any robots. I can't imagine Kazuki voluntarily giving up any opportunity to pilot a robot."

"That's true," Mena nodded.

"The other Kazuki probably has no idea he can pilot robots," Ms. Hayase theorized.

"Maybe the other Kazuki can't pilot robots," Ayuko smiled slightly.

"That's not funny, dear," Dr. Rara harrumphed. Ayuko allowed her grin to lapse.

"What probably happened," Kazuki spoke with animation, "was that the Nanjyo Academy was closed due to the trailer. My old house and Dr. Sanada's house weren't in the evacuation zone. My family and I didn't have to go to any shelters, and I wasn't supposed to be in school, so Shiozaki, Izawa and I went to watch the robots battle."

"I'm very glad that my impressions were mistaken," Yayoi told him.

Mitsuki Sanada decided, "You did find something to distract them from their sinister aim, so I'll give you some points."

Kazuki stubbornly folded his arms. "Maybe I don't know you live here in that other world," he addressed her.

Mitsuki Sanada turned away from him. "How can you say that? Don't start taking after our aunt; that sort of joke isn't funny." Ayuko sighed heavily and put a finger to her chin, but Mitsuki Sanada's expression plainly showed she was genuinely slighted. While feeling sympathy for their daughter, Akane and Dr. Sanada could only attempt to contain their laughter at Kazuki's confused countenance.

Her parents' laughter, poorly hidden, as well as some calculating looks between members of the trio, brought her to her senses. Mitsuki Sanada turned back to Kazuki and granted, "All right, Kazuki. I don't mind if you bring your friends around to this house. A few more troublemakers won't kill me."

"Nor kill any of us, I hope," Yayoi deadpanned.

Kazuki chuckled nervously at the joke, and then said to the group, "Thanks, Mitsuki, but really, I'd rather they didn't come back. They're great friends for masculine companionship, like school or basketball, but they're rather embarrassing at more formal occasions. They probably have some growing up to do. I don't even want to imagine what they'd do at one of our usual social gatherings."

Mrs. Nanjyoin, sensing this topic of conversation was exhausted, moved on. "The consensus, I suppose, is that we do not divulge information about these manifestations to the outside world and continue to gather the necessary data?"

"I was hoping we could publish our findings," Dr. Sanada said unexpectedly.

Alice giggled, "Doctor, how can you publish anything if we don't know anything about the other world?"

Dr. Sanada waved his arm, "I bet somebody's publishing a paper at this very moment that dresses up in big scientific words the fact that nobody knows what is going on."

Akane shook her head. "Ken, if you really want that Nobel Prize, you want to be the one who publishes the paper that does know what's going on, right?"

Dr. Rara grinned evilly. "Whichever route he goes, he doesn't know any big words to put in the paper!"

There should've been some response from Dr. Sanada, but he and Dr. Rara noticed that Mitsuki Rara had gotten up and gone to the window where she saw the appearances a few hours ago.

Mitsuki Rara noticed them looking at her, and she said sadly, "I was just wondering who was piloting Himc."

"Ms. Mitsuki," Ms. Hayase began to try to soothe her, but then couldn't say anything else. The bodyguard trio looked painedly at Mitsuki Rara as they moved to stand around her.

"Even if it was piloting it," Kazuki told her firmly, "you were probably under mind control."

Ayuko looked at nothing in particular as Dr. Rara glared at her.

"It might've been me in the cockpit," Mitsuki Sanada offered unexpectedly. Her face was stoic, but Mitsuki Rara's face was pleasantly surprised.

"No one doubts you, Mitsuki," Yayoi assured her. "You and your friends were a great help to us."

"It'll be all right, Mitsuki," Dee said, trying to comfort her cousin, although clearly Dee's empathy was close to making her cry about Mitsuki Rara's sadness.

Mitsuki Rara, thus comforted, returned to the couch. Dee held out Kumu to her, so both Dee and Mitsuki Rara were cradling Kumu, who began to lick their faces, so everyone was distracted by their laughter. The trio made themselves busy by serving yet another round of food, and everyone else busy by taking some. They stopped suddenly when they came to Kazuki.

"He's been on the computer late the past few nights, hasn't he?" Mitsuki Rara smiled.

Yayoi smiled as well. "Kazuki's fortunate that he hasn't got any tests tomorrow."

"We should all be quiet," Dee's eyes shone with mirth.

Mitsuki Sanada said, "Well, I carry plenty of sleeping people around, I guess I'll just have to carry him up to his room as well."

Kumu perked up her ears as she detected the sound of Kazuki's breath, rhythmic in sleep.

* * *

In his dream, Kazuki was still among the people in Dr. Sanada's house, talking about all the appearances from other worlds that day. The doorbell rang, and he went to answer it- startlingly fast, as in all dreams. He found at the door, to his horror, his two friends.

"Kazuki," Izawa was saying, "did you see those awesome robots?"

"You're so lucky they were right outside your house!" Shiozaki exclaimed. "Did you have a camera so you could take pictures of them and-" Shiozaki broke off as he looked inside the house and saw all the beauties he could ever dream of in one place. Izawa, recognizing the look on Shiozaki's face, realized that he had to get inside the house.

"Kazuki!" they both exclaimed and bowed. "We're your best friends, and you just name it, we'd do anything for you," and so on and so forth.

A deep, dark part of Kazuki's mind screamed.

The door abruptly swung towards Kazuki and bit his foot, which made him really scream.

* * *

Awaking, Kazuki found Kumu clamped onto his slippered foot, and the hands of Dee, the Mitsukis, and Yayoi around Kumu's jaws, trying to get her to release. Ayuko was in hysterics, and the triple chiding of her daughter, husband, and younger sister could not compel her laughing to stop either.

* * *

Some time later, Kumu was being disciplined, Kazuki's wound had been cleaned and disinfected several times over, and he was ready to go to bed. He could only hope that Shiozaki and Izawa and rabid doors would not continue to manifest in his slumber.

Before Kazuki left for his room, Dr. Rara spoke asked him confidentially, "Do you remember how I asked you the other day if you had finished the parallel story?"

Kazuki nodded and grunted affirmatively.

"It looks like you'll need to write even more in it now."

"Yeah," Kazuki agreed. "A lot more. Maybe most of the rest of the story hasn't even happened yet." Dr. Rara grunted affirmatively, and they bid each other good night.


	31. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

The debriefing was done within a few hours of the mission's end. Kent put his arms around Mitsuki Rara's shoulders as the tale of his disappearance concluded. "That explains why there was no damage to anything- it never had been damaged in that world. I can see why you all sounded so upset," Kent commented.

"You were upset too," Pres. Rara pointed out.

"It was an unnerving time," Kent agreed.

"I'm very happy that you're back with us now," Mitsuki Rara said, out of her Ms. Rah garb.

"I am too," Kent agreed. "So, where did I end up? Back in my own world?"

Dr. Rara leapt out of his chair, excited. "That's almost the most extraordinary part! The readings allowed us to compile a dimensional signature for the parallel world that you visited, and it was markedly different from yours! It was yet another parallel world that you arrived in!"

Kent was surprised. "It seems like a long time ago that I was surprised to learn that there was another universe in parallel with my own. Sir, are you telling me that, counting this universe we're in now, there are at least three universes in parallel?"

Pres. Rara nodded emphatically. "Yes, at least three. We've managed to confirm three! Ha!" Sobriety returned to him for a moment. "I'm sorry we can't yet put you back there more permanently."

"Don't worry," Kent said. Indicating Mitsuki Rara, he elaborated, "We agreed that, as soon as the technology is available we'd end up visiting both worlds a lot. People important to both of us are in both worlds, and that seemed the best thing to do. I don't mind waiting a little bit longer, if it means I can get the best of both worlds!"

They all laughed at the joke, but Pres. Rara's laughter, and his daughter's, was more muted. It seemed Kent was far less daunted by the experience than they were.

Sensing this, Kent tried to reassure them further, "Hey, having done it three times now, I've definitely proven that dimensional travel is safe for human beings. Even if it happens again, it should be all right."

"I hope there isn't another time," Mitsuki Rara breathed softly, and Pres. Rara added, "I agree. The transporter you used to get here seems fairly sound. What happened today was far more powerful and had more long-ranging effects. There could be terrible results if it were to happen again. I'm trying to find out why it happened and how to prevent it, but we don't have the data or the theory to figure either out."

All three fell silent for a moment, until Mitsuki Rara's bodyguards burst in to greet their leaders and welcome back their dimension-traveling comrade.

* * *

Ayuko was speaking privately to Kumu. Kumu's appearance had long since returned to normal, but she definitely remembered the odd events that had been occurring. Kumu correlated what Ayuko was telling her with information she was trolling from the RaRa databanks. In a little while she'd try hacking into Earth Defense Force and independent researchers' scientific databanks for their information.

"Bizarre, but of little consequence," Kumu concluded when Ayuko had finished telling Kumu about the experience.

"There aren't any advantages we can exploit out of it?" Ayuko inquired out of habit, but since Himc and Slade had returned intact, she also had little concern over the dimensional disturbances.

"No. You told me a few minutes ago your daughter is getting married." Kumu's abrupt change of subject was normal for her.

"Yes, she is." Ayuko was not prepared to concede to Kumu anything on the subject. Binding Slade inextricably into the RaRa Army was exactly in line with her plans. In fact, she thought Kumu would approve.

"You still do not comprehend the danger, do you? Surely some female could've been found to pilot Himc." Kumu was speaking barbs.

"Maybe we could have. After trying many, many pilots, though, we were beginning to lose all hope. I don't know why someone would make such a powerful robot able to reject pilots, but there it is. The best weapon in our arsenal is the only robot known to prevent pilots from operating it. You said yourself that Himc was childish in that way," Ayuko stated.

"It is selective," Kumu corrected her crossly.

"We finally found a pilot," Ayuko went on, "who could use it. He could use it immediately, without any rejection or difficulty at all. Kumu, it's in our best interests to keep Slade on our side by any means necessary."

"Males are always the enemy, always seeking destruction," Kumu refrained.

Privately, Ayuko was surprised that Kumu had backed down so fast. Was she beginning to trust Slade? Ayuko hid the surprise and agreed with Kumu, "That is what makes them unfit to rule. Yet they can be useful when their instincts are given control by us."

She chuckled. If they had put a monkey in the cockpit of that powerful behemoth, Himc still would probably have been able to give them all the victories Slade had. Still, she had to give him his due: she said aloud, "He certainly has an aptitude for combat piloting," Ayuko commented.

"Of course," Kumu returned witheringly, "men always have an aptitude for destruction. A close eye must always be kept on his activities, though he can hardly threaten us now. His destructive impulses, used on our side, has helped the forces of our technology to rule the world. One human cannot stop our cause. The world is beginning to turn against the Earth Defense Force. Even if that male became a hindrance or opponent, our victory would be close at hand."

Ayuko smiled.

* * *

There was a lot of shuffling of papers in the map room of the Earth Defense Force Base. Cmdr. Sanada wanted to see how long he could look officious by shuffling them. He had hoped that constantly ruffling them would irritate Akane, but she didn't seem to mind. Inspector Akane Yamano, Lt. Yayoi Schwael, and Mrs. Reika Nanjyoin were eventually all present in the room for the meeting.

Inspector Yamano spoke first. "Commander, can we beat the RaRa Army with the forces at our disposal?" Her question was mostly rhetorical but slightly pleading.

Commander Sanada considered for a moment. "Well, I don't know. We haven't tried everything up our sleeves yet. We haven't even fully exploited what we've already used. Take today, for instance. All those new Core Units helped us deliver the biggest defeat to RaRa that we've been able to since that hulk showed up."

Mrs. Nanjyoin nodded. "That is true, Commander. However, I must report that we cannot receive any new Core Units for another two months. RaRa Army blockades cannot be broken until we retake the territories where the raw materials are located, forcing our opponents to withdraw. The factories friendly to us are working at full capacity but with few materials. We cannot count upon new equipment for the robots, let alone new robots. Soon our ability to manufacture replacement parts will also be imperiled."

Inspector Yamano turned to Yayoi. "Lieutenant, do you or anyone on the command staff have any new or old tactical tricks that might be of use?"

Yayoi shook her head. "There have been no ideas that can solve our main tactical problem, which is the large enemy robot. Old and new tactical ideas have proven effective against the smaller robots, but not against the large one."

Mrs. Nanjyoin turned to Cmdr. Sanada. "Commander," she spoke calmly, "I suggest that we use the last piece of ancient technology left to us. Perhaps the ancient warship's main guns will be able to breach the shields of the large unit."

Cmdr. Sanada wisecracked, "I never imagined you could be so violent, Mrs. Nanjyoin. Perhaps I should've made you a pilot."

He was the only one who laughed, so he spoke seriously. "If I use my warship, Mrs. Nanjyoin, then we risk that idiot Rara using his. The rules of war we made together allow us to use them. His is a lot bigger than ours, and probably has more powerful weaponry. That thing alone could have conquered the entire planet. He's just never used it because he wanted to keep an ace in the hole. He was and is strong enough to afford to keep it in reserve. Rara and I did draft the rules for this war, but we both knew they were ridiculously in my favor. There are only two reasons he agreed to them. One is that he was so confident that he could win even if we just had robots slowly fighting each other, inching their way across territory. The other is that, like myself, he didn't really want anyone to get hurt or die in this war."

"If I used the battleship," Cmdr. Sanada continued, "and he used his, there's a much greater possibility that someone would get hurt or die on either of the ancient vessels. In any case, from what studies Rara and I conducted on both vessels, both of us know perfectly well his ship can handily defeat the one we've got now."

Akane glared at the commander. "You're not contemplating surrendering to that ugly old man."

"No, actually, I have a new plan," Cmdr. Sanada told them, unruffled.

"What is it?" demanded Inspector Yamano.

"Guess," requested the commander.

Inspector Yamano gasped in disbelief and irritation. "For a hint: I just came from the scientific department," Cmdr. Sanada spoke to them all.

"It involves new artifact technology you've just learned how to use," guessed Yayoi.

"No," smiled Cmdr. Sanada.

Mrs. Nanjyoin calmly stated, "I don't know, Commander."

Cmdr. Sanada shrugged and looked inquiringly at Inspector Yamano, who cried, "As U. N. Inspector, I have the right to know all of your plans!"

"If you guess the plan, then you'll know it," smirked the commander.

Mrs. Nanjyoin interceded. "Commander, we cannot guess what plan you have conceived of. Please inform us."

The commander settled down and informed them. "I'm sure you all recall the spacetime disruption that occurred on the battlefield recently. The data from our instruments, as well as the pilot's story and Unit 2's Core data indicate that Unit 2 and that hulk were unintentionally drawn into a parallel universe! A final confirmation of my theory at last!"

He had leapt out of his seat with this last sentence, and now began to pace around the room.

"I now have evidence indicating the existence of at least two universes parallel to our own! What I propose to do is to scour those worlds for help!"

"What exactly do you expect to find in two other worlds that could help?" Yayoi asked.

"Maybe we could find more artifacts," Cmdr. Sanada suggested. "Or perhaps we could get more pilot volunteers. There might even be factories and raw materials we could buy!"

Mrs. Nanjyoin looked at him. "Commander, although I would appreciate any relief on that front, I must state that it would be a very difficult process to move manufactured goods or raw materials from one universe to another. I'm not familiar with the physics involved, but that seems like a fairly logical consequence of the size of the things we need manufactured, like Core Robots."

Yayoi nodded. "The most practical course would therefore be to search for pilots in these other worlds."

"I concur," nodded Mrs. Nanjyoin.

"We're not talking sensibly," Inspector Yamano said painedly. "The commander gave up his research into parallel universes a long time ago. We don't have any way to get to any other world!"

"Ah, but that's the most exciting part!" Cmdr. Sanada declared. "Months ago, when you, Yayoi, were injured, D found a strange device near Unit 1. It doesn't work any more, but it seems to have been a product of a parallel world, designed to let a human being travel from one universe to the other!"

Yayoi leaned forward. "Did someone use another device to put Himc and Unit 2 into another world?"

Cmdr. Sanada stopped short in his pacing and considered a moment, then disagreed, "I doubt it. Mrs. Nanjyoin is right, it'd take an enormous amount of energy to transport two large robots. This device was clearly made for only a human to use. It looks like what happened to Unit 2 and the hulk was just a natural phenomenon. There's also the fact that the device's settings were for a parallel world different from the one Unit 2 briefly visited."

Inspector Yamano glared at the commander. "You were obliged to tell me about any new technology you acquired, Commander!"

The commander looked sheepish. "We've all been working very hard. It was only just now that we managed to figure out this much about the device. I didn't want to bring it up when we didn't know what it was or if we could make a second one ourselves."

Mrs. Nanjyoin again spoke to keep the meeting on track. "Commander, what exactly do you expect this device to do once we make a duplicate?"

Cmdr. Sanada faced her from his standing position, glad to move on. "It looks like the me from that other world made it. It's a portable device that calls the main transporter which must be in his world. Then that transporter takes you to his world."

"In what manner would the traveler return to our universe?" Mrs. Nanjyoin asked.

"That's easy; we'll just use the main transporter again. To get to the third parallel world, we'll have to change the main transporter so it can take us there."

Yayoi looked at him inquisitively. "Will the people in the other world just allow us to use the transporter all the time and modify it to our whims?"

Cmdr. Sanada waved this off. "I own the transporter in the other world," he reminded them, "I'd gladly help myself."

Akane sighed. "We're really left without any other options. I must insist, Commander, that you not dwell overmuch on being a pioneer, and waste time going there yourself. You are supposed to be working here."

Cmdr. Sanada protested, "I'd just be going long enough to set everything up on the main transporter, and to help identify any significant artifacts or scientific discoveries in the other world. Mrs. Nanjyoin, will you please be the person who more thoroughly explores these other worlds?"

"I am dependable," he added insistently, sensing general amazement at his acceptance of spending more time being a commander than an explorer of other worlds.

"Thank you, Commander," Mrs. Nanjyoin told him, "I will gladly help you in this task."

* * *

RaRa Army ends here, but it is only the first part of a larger story. In the next installment, Advent, the main characters will all return to the main storyline. The first chapter of the next story will be posted tomorrow. The main characters will return!

**Credits:**

Great minds think alike. I did read several Dual fanfictions after I had the ideas for writing mine, but I had my ideas first and tried not to steal. Xtor49 and Thorin Blauvelt's "Interstellar Dual!" reminded me to figure out what the Rara's living arrangements were after Zinv knocked over their house. Clayton Overstreet's "Dual Episode 15 Decision" came to the same conclusion I had independently; Yayoi would be able to pilot a robot in the synthesis world.

About Chapter 6: Yes, I made up the whole joint pilot testing thing. I was just trying to figure out a way that everyone could be so dead certain that there were no male pilots, and the guard's conversation was what I came up with. I'm not trying to cast doubt on the premise, I'm just trying to explain how everyone learned about it when apparently neither D nor Kumu mentioned it to anyone.

Acknowledgements:

I'd like to thank and acknowledge my beta readers Blue Comet and Shiori Hitohana for putting up with my initial versions of my stories. If you think it stinks now, just imagine what it was like before they improved it! They did their best, but when you make as many mistakes I do, it's easy to miss some, so any remaining mistakes are my fault.

The Dual DVD (Digital Video Disc) extras and the "Dual! Ultimate Fan Guide" by Guardians of Order proved extremely helpful to me. If I misinterpreted them, it's my fault.

Thanks to Kenneth W. Iliff and Curtis L. Peebles for their book From Runway to Orbit, which really helped me to understand what flight simulator regimen is like. I ought to emphasize that basically this was only used for my own comprehension. What actually occurs in the story may differ significantly from real flight simulators are like, even in NASA. Any discrepancies or errors are my own fault.

Also, thanks to the movie "Frankenstein" and its parody "Young Frankenstein," for madly scientific inspiration about labs, Igor, and morbid portrait conversations. I don't know how I could mess up inspiration, but I'm sure it's possible.

Thanks to "Star Trek" for the transporter. I'd like to assure everyone that I'm not trying to steal from it: it was Dual that had the Super Ultra-Deluxe Parallel World transporter before me. Why I feel the need to reassure everyone on this point I don't know.

My gratitude also to Robert Louis Stevenson and "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde." Although I haven't actually read the book, I know it is a good story.

The following articles helped me to have a somewhat factual basis for this science fiction story. Blame me first for inaccuracies or insanities. I deserve it.

On Color blindness:

Wikipedia: Color blindness

with special thanks to Wikipedia user Chinasaur

On Korean proper entries for famous Koreans

On Japanese proper names:

DVD Extras: Character Profiles Vol. 2

On Richter scale:

www.neic.usgs.gov/neis/general/richter.html

Wikipedia: Richter magnitude scale

On The Use Of Characters:

Finally, please feel free to use these characters and ideas in your own fanfictions. Do it in your head or in writing, whether you liked how I did the story or not. As I understand it, since it's a fanfiction, I own nothing within the story anyways. Of course, I haven't exactly consulted a lawyer about that. Don't depend on me for your legal advice!


	32. Advent Ch 1

Introduction:

Unbeknownst to most people, there were multiple parallel worlds formed from the discovery of powerful technological artifacts in a Japanese construction site. In one world, a teenager named Kazuki Yotsuga was sent from his home universe to a parallel one, in which giant robots constructed from the technological artifacts battled each other for the control of the Earth. Kazuki lent his support to the Earth Defense Force, and defeated the RaRa Army. By this point, his home world and the robot world were about to collide and annihilate each other, so he risked his life by destroying his robot and other self Zinv. The two worlds were then combined to form a synthesis world, where the former enemies lived side by side in a bizarre peace. Kazuki and Zinv survived.

In another world, the war between the Earth Defense Force and the RaRa Army still rages. There, however, the war has taken a decided turn for the RaRa Army. The Earth Defense Force lacks the piloting prowess of Kazuki Yotsuga, and a new pilot, Kent Slade, has arisen for the RaRa Army. Only his closest friends know that he is from a third parallel world, unrelated to the synthesis world. Kent Slade is the designated pilot for Himc, a lumbering but incredibly destructive and heavily armored combat robot discovered inside the artifact and renovated by the RaRa Army.

Cmdr. Sanada, the leader of the Earth Defense Force, has recently gained new hope for his side. Kent Slade lost his equipment that would enable him to return home. Cmdr. Sanada recovered the ruined equipment and is now planning to use it to visit two parallel worlds. One of them is Slade's original universe, and the other is the synthesis world.

Kazuki Yotsuga and his friends and family in the synthesis world were present when Himc and an Earth Defense Robot were accidentally transported into and out of the synthesis world by a freak event of nature. They recognized such dimensional transferrances as the sign of multiple worlds colliding, and realized that the war was still raging in other worlds. He and his friends are gathering data to determine if the worlds will collide. They are prepared to do whatever they must to save all the universes: even if it means hazarding the life of Kazuki a second time.

Advent

Chapter 1

Dr. Sanada gave himself a tired grin. He was, at least, doing what he loved, research into a parallel world. It seemed ironic that the war which had stolen all of his research time was now the thing that impelled him to research parallel worlds.

Unfortunately, there was not enough time to work on a full dimensional transporter, not even time to complete the half-ready one in his basement. Most projections showed the territory his house stood in would fall to the RaRa Army within a month, and the Earth Defense Force base soon after. Dr. Sanada would not allow that to be the end for the Earth Defense Force. He had many things up his sleeve, from this project to several others. None of them, however, had a great chance of success. Himc and its pilot were just too good. At this point, even if Himc could somehow be defeated, he and the Earth Defense Force would face the prospect of having to retake the entire planet, territory by territory.

Bitter was the thought of having to flee, but he was a commander and he owed it to his people to provide them that option. If the parallel world he hoped to access through this device could not yield him aid in the war, it might prove a safe haven for his army.

He could tell that the device was a product of his counterpart, his duplicate in the other world. The manufacturers were the same ones that he used in this world for work on both his parallel world devices and spare parts for the Core Robots. Representatives of those manufacturers had been with him and assured him they would be ready to build a duplicate of the device in plenty of time.

More than that, it was built in the manner that he would've designed it, for the most part. Dr. Sanada's design was very distinctive, and it was stamped indelibly upon the ruined device he was working on, the device that D had recovered from the crater some time ago. There did seem to be another presence in its design though. Someone thoroughly practical had insisted upon trimming all of Dr. Sanada's usual excesses. The other hand had also been responsible for great elegance and usefulness in the design. The very idea of programming this signaler was a very good one which that someone must've had, since Dr. Sanada had never been any good at programming- he had needed the help of the other scientists and engineers at the base to do it for the new one.

He had submitted the final design for the signaler to the manufacturing representatives, and they had given him their assurances. Now Dr. Sanada was working on the next part of the plan. Since it did look like this device was made by his counterpart and another person, it was almost certainly meant to signal his counterpart in the other world, and his counterpart's Super Ultra-Deluxe Parallel World Transporter would then return the signaler to that other world. His plan was to send an emissary to that world, and to yet another world he had detected that time when Himc and Core Robot Unit 2 disappeared and then reappeared. He could tell that Himc and Unit 2 had gone to a different universe than the one the signaler originally came from because of what settings he could still make out on the ruined device. Hopefully his emissary would be able either to get aid or determine if either world would be a good hiding place.

To assure his emissary's ability to return, he needed to program his Super Ultra-Deluxe Parallel World Transporter to be able to transport people to different parallel universes. The program, which someone else was writing, would allow the user to determine which universe they wanted to go to. Right now Dr. Sanada was finishing up some research that should give the programmer the last bit of information necessary.

Dr. Rara would not be able to program the computer for him, and he sighed, sad suddenly at how things had turned out between them. Could they have remained friends, somehow? Of course they could have, if that idiot hadn't betrayed the entire planet!

His thoughts suddenly turned. Who was the person this device was meant for? Dr. Sanada shrugged, unable to speculate. He returned to the lovely and interesting problem before him.

* * *

Kent Slade was ensconced in a simulator. The simulator, most would say, was upon the RaRa base on an island. In reality, that island was a massive floating warship, artifact technology carefully hidden from most eyes.

Slade needed only a few more seconds to finish devastating the simulacrums of the Earth Defense Force. Kent used all the virtual weapons at his disposal, high-energy bullets, powerful energy beams, and long tentacles, systematically destroying each of the robots, new and old, in a single blow, until the simulation was won for his side.

"Mitsuki, please don't put us against him again!" Alice, one of Mitsuki Rara's three bodyguards, wailed.

"I lost too," Mitsuki Rara was being reasonable. She, her bodyguard trio, and other RaRa pilots had been piloting the simulated eight Core Robots of the Earth Defense Force, and all of them had been defeated just now.

"It must be tough to actually be in Sanada's army and have to really lose every time," Ryla, another bodyguard, mused.

"If it makes you feel any better, it's getting harder and harder to beat you guys in the simulator," Kent offered.

"We keep running away more and more effectively," Mena agreed, "but it's not really much of an accomplishment."

"Don't sell yourselves short," Kent was still affable, "hit and fade attacks are very effective."

"Thank you all for doing your best," Mitsuki Rara told everyone, "the simulations are now completed for the day."

The pilots all emerged from their simulation units and mingled, discussing and laughing and slowly moving out of the simulation room.

Ms. Kaoru Hayase had been running the simulation computers from the next room. The pilots filed past her, thanking her for her hard work and wishing her a good day. Ms. Hayase and Mitsuki Rara wanted to talk in great detail, but they would have to meet later. They needed to talk about the course of events before the events went beyond their control. Probably there was nothing they could do now, but they were not yet ready to give up.

Kent Slade neither needed nor wanted to wait for a talk with his fiancee. "You've been looking depressed lately," he said as soon as he and Mitsuki Rara were relatively alone.

"I'm just worried about what will happen," she said, looking down at her feet.

"You've said that before," Kent said, determined not to be put off. "You said it before we had even started dating, Mitsuki. In all the time that's passed since that day, you've only grown sadder." He tried to lighten the mood. "It almost makes me think that being engaged is like torture, a thought which is bruising my sterotypically overweening American ego."

She laughed at that and looked him in the face. "It's nothing like that, Kent. You are always trying to do what's right, and that's what I've always liked about you."

Kent smiled but did not back down. "If we must repeat ourselves, I've told you before that flattery will get you nowhere."

At last Mitsuki Rara answered him. "What I wonder about is what will happen in the future; what the world will be like if we do win."

"If we win," Kent said with certainty, "we'll have a bunch of flawed but good people running the world, including your parents. It'll be a world filled with flawed people, some trying to be good and some trying to be evil. Utopia is not an outcome I anticipate. It's not going to get any better or any worse, but it may have less suffering for a time. Your father will build us a transporter, so I can get back to my original world, and you and I will be free to visit our friends and families as often as we like." Slade's voice had grown fervent during these last statements, and he recovered himself with a deep breath.

"Kent, I understand, and thank you," Mitsuki Rara reassured him. Kent wasn't really sure if she was convinced or not, but who could truly know the emotional state of another? There was a call for her on the public announcement system: her father wished to see her in an official capacity.

Kent couldn't think of anything more he could say, other than, "Goodbye for now, Mitsuki."

"Goodbye, Kent," she said, and went to seek her father.

For a moment, Kent just stood there, being consciously grateful to heaven for everything he had. There was a darkness brooding somewhere in his mind as well, an idea of troubles to come. The darkness had been often dismissed from his mind, but never banished. It had come to roost ever since that first time Mitsuki Rara had tried to convince him that her parents only wanted to conquer the world.

He threw the darkness aside for the millionth time. Kent still had seen nothing to support her theories, and was certain that he was in the right. There was no need for concern. He walked back to his room.

* * *

Awaiting his daughter, Pres. Rara perused his battle plans, which he would soon discuss with her. Pres. Rara muttered to himself, "Once we conquer that area, we'll be neighbors. Stupid Sanada's house will be only meters away from our territory." 


	33. Advent Ch 2

Chapter 2

Cmdr. Sanada handed Mrs. Nanjyoin a signaler and took another for himself. The signalers would properly contact his other self, who would transport them into his world. He was quite confident in his other self, totally ready to send himself and Mrs. Nanjyoin into a parallel world. It was an exciting prospect.

Inspector Yamano and Yayoi were there to bid them goodbye. Cmdr. Sanada had formally given Lt. Yayoi Schwael command over the Earth Defense Force until his return. He hadn't meant to skip out on a battle, but the signalers had been delivered today, and to his surprise the others insisted he use them as soon as possible. He didn't like to think of his army getting desperate or worried while he was gone. The commander would return relatively soon, but Mrs. Nanjyoin would be staying in one of the other worlds for some time, getting as much help for their forces as she could.

Mrs. Nanjyoin bowed to Inspector Yamano and her granddaughter. "Thank you both for coming to see us off this morning."

D abruptly entered the room, saying nothing. She stood beside Yayoi and gazed at everyone impassively.

"Thank you as well, D," Mrs. Nanjyoin bowed to her. D saluted in return.

"Have a safe journey," Inspector Yamano wished somberly.

Yayoi's voice was formal and her face sad, though she didn't mean to reveal her sorrows. "Goodbye, commander. Goodbye, grandmother."

Mrs. Nanjyoin looked her in the eyes. Though she was also sad, she didn't want to make this parting harder for anyone, and kept her expression neutral.

Cmdr. Sanada looked around the room approvingly. "I really do have the best people. Don't worry about us, or about winning or losing. I know you'll all give everything you have, and that's what's most important to me."

Akane frowned. "Unfortunately, if we fail while doing our best, we've still failed, and that ugly old man will still be winning. We have to win."

"We could run away," Cmdr. Sanada suggested.

The inspector was outraged: "Commander!"

"That's the spirit; don't give in!" the commander now encouraged her.

She glared at him. "But you just said-" and there she terminated her words in a growl, seeing that cheeky grin on his face.

Cmdr. Sanada's expression changed slightly as he smiled reassuringly at Yayoi. "Be sure you win that battle. I can't stand to live next door to that idiot!" Addressing everyone, he said, "Goodbye to you all!"

As they had discussed, Cmdr. Sanada went first; the transporter might only have the capability to take one person at a time. He pressed the button on his signaler, and was enveloped in a column of green light. There were arcs and glows in the cylinder. The commander cried, "Haha, it works! To a parallel universe!" and then he slowly disappeared.

Mrs. Nanjyoin waited exactly a minute and pressed her button. She was similarly transported.

* * *

She looked about her, and saw that she was in a basement. Near Mrs. Nanjyoin was a chair with leather padding, and surrounding the room were various scientific instruments.

"This is the basement of my house, all right," Cmdr. Sanada said, turning towards her and away from some of the equipment he was looking at. "Only this lucky me has been able to devote a lot more time to his parallel world research."

"Will the device be able to put us into the other parallel world as well?" Mrs. Nanjyoin asked.

"I'll just load up the program now," Cmdr. Sanada said. He pulled out some storage media he had carried with him and began to load the program onto a nearby computer. "There, once this is in, we can go to our original world, or we can visit the world that the hulk and Unit 2 went to. If you don't mind, though, I'd like to look around this world some before we go anywhere else."

Mrs. Nanjyoin agreed, "Of course, Commander. I would appreciate your assistance in our search for as long as you can spare from your duties."

"I'm perfectly content to stay here," the commander assured her. He fiddled with more settings on the software, waited awhile, frowned at the computer, and redid the whole installation.

Mrs. Nanjyoin examined a shelf on the wall. It was empty except for a picture in its center. She saw that the picture was of Ayuko holding a baby. This was an odd item to find in the house of Cmdr. Sanada's counterpart.

"There! It's ready now," he finally proclaimed.

"Commander," Mrs. Nanjyoin addressed him, "there's a picture of Ayuko and a baby here."

"Why have I got a picture of her, I wonder?" Cmdr. Sanada joined her and examined the picture.

The door at the top of the stairs opened, and Sanada's voice called out, "Who's there, and how did you ever get in here? That's not you, is it, Kent? No, I would've recognized your voice. It sounds like I'm in there. Me, am I there?"

"Yes, you're here!" Cmdr. Sanada returned helpfully.

"Please forgive our intrusion," Mrs. Nanjyoin told him. "We used your parallel world transporter. I am Mrs. Reika Nanjyoin, and this is your counterpart, Commander Sanada."

"Don't be alarmed, Mrs. Nanjyoin!" The parallel Sanada had run down the stairs and was staring at them both from only a few feet away. "I'm perfectly content to have visitors from another world. No, wait. Me, please answer this question first; whatever are you a commander of?"

"The Earth Defense Force," Cmdr. Sanada told his other self.

"What is it?" his counterpart replied with many questions. "How'd you ever get involved? Do you get any grants out of it?"

"There isn't an Earth Defense Force or a RaRa Army in this world?" Mrs. Nanjyoin inquired, surprised. "Isn't there a war going on between those two armies?"

"No, there's nothing like that, I'm just a dimensional physicist," Dr. Sanada explained. "Are you saying that Rara got an army in the parallel world? And I got what? Nothing? Why don't you name your organization the Sanada Army? Or at least the A Lot Better Than Rara Army?"

Commander Sanada perked up. "Say, that's a good idea! Maybe we'd get some good press if we changed our name."

"Our current name suffices, Commander," Mrs. Nanjyoin said.

"Please, feel free to use the transporter as much as you like."

"Why, thank you, me," Commander Sanada grinned.

"No, wait, what am I saying!" Dr. Sanada was suddenly alarmed. "Don't ever use it again! It could kill you! One guy used it and he was never seen again, but, oh. You both used it and you're okay. Hey wait, how'd you manage to use it from another universe?"

Cmdr. Sanada was about to show him, but Mrs. Nanjyoin coughed slightly.

"What am I thinking!" exclaimed Dr. Sanada. He gestured up the stairs, "Won't you come in and-" then he stopped. "No, wait, what am I thinking! Uh, I already told his family he was missing and hadn't come back, but, well, have you met a guy named Kent Slade?"

Mrs. Nanjyoin and the commander looked at each other, then back at the doctor. "No, doctor, we haven't," Mrs. Nanjyoin answered for them both.

Dr. Sanada's face fell. "Oh dear. I was hoping that since you were using signalers, or since I thought you were, you had seen him and he was all right. Now I don't know what's happened to him."

Cmdr. Sanada was distressed to see his counterpart's grief. "Well, we did find a signaler, but we, er, didn't find any evidence that this guy you sent had perished, so he's probably still alive, and we just never saw him."

"We're very sorry, doctor," Mrs. Nanjyoin spoke consolingly. "We searched the area looking for another person, but were unable to find anyone at all."

"Well, why don't you both come upstairs and we can compare our two worlds," Dr. Sanada recovered himself. "Are either of you hungry? Mrs. Nanjyoin, do you like ramen noodles? I know I and me do!"

Mrs. Nanjyoin politely declined, while the doctors slipped into ecstasy. She did accept a bit of tea, and watched as the two doctors tore into instant ramen noodles. Mrs. Nanjyoin weighed the odds that either would stop slurping, and decided not to broach the subject.

"Wow, I really feel disappointed now," Dr. Sanada commented after the three had talked over the ramen and the slurping. "I can't access the artifacts in this world, since they're all buried under the City Hall. It doesn't look like there's any way to help you."

Cmdr. Sanada shook his head. "I'm sorry we can't help you," he told his counterpart. "I really wish we could tell you something about Snide."

"We will remain on the lookout for Mr. Slade," Mrs. Nanjyoin assured him, hoping that the commander would not be too embarrassed by his misrecollection of the name.

"I really appreciate that," Dr. Sanada said seriously. "Please be careful when you use the Super Ultra-Deluxe Parallel World Transporter. I'm not sure what will happen, or why none of us know where Slade is."

The conversation lagged a bit, so Mrs. Nanjyoin asked, "May I ask why you had a picture of Ayuko in your basement?"

Doctor Sanada began to sniff. "She was my wife. She and my baby died many years ago."

"I'm very sorry, doctor," Mrs. Nanjyoin said sincerely.

Cmdr. Sanada patted his counterpart on the shoulder. "That's very sad, me."

"Thank you for saying that, Mrs. Nanjyoin and myself," Dr. Sanada rasped.

Mrs. Nanjyoin and Cmdr. Sanada both knew that the battle had begun only a short while after they had gone to this universe. It probably had concluded by now. Even in the midst of her sympathy for the commander's counterpart, Mrs. Nanjyoin couldn't help wondering how the battle had gone in the other universe.

* * *

The engagement had begun, as usual, with Ms. Rah's bizarre outbursts from atop a skyscraper on the field of honor. This time, she declared, "The city shall be held by the godlike Mr. Rara before the day is through! Let our ancient technology step forward and crush the enemy!"

On this cue, Himc and the five jewel-cannon robots remaining from the previous engagement advanced into the battlefield. The battlefield was once again near to the edge of the city, and was close to Dr. Sanada's home. Mrs. Nanjyoin and the two Sanadas were in Dr. Sanada's home in another universe- in the same place but literally a world away.

Yayoi received a report from the officers under her command, "Lieutenant, the Core Robots are all in position in the urban area."

"All units, open fire and then scatter as planned," Yayoi ordered.

The three Core Robots that had been doing most of the fighting for months were joined by the five newly built Core Robots in rising out of hiding and firing upon Himc and the jewel-cannon robots.

"Destroy these puny things!" Ms. Rah demanded.

The jewel-cannons still standing, two of them, sprinted forward and returned fire, channeling purple beams through the jewels on their shoulders. Himc was out of range for his beam, and couldn't move as fast as the jewel-cannons, so he used his long-range high-energy bullet and managed to hit the green Core Robot. No one was able to get in many hits, though- the Core Robots all ducked back behind tall buildings. They crouched and ran to different hiding spots.

Slade watched this behavior with concern from the cockpit of Himc. "Hit and fade. This could get nasty. Maybe they've even got some sort of trap set up."

* * *

Ryla, Mena, and Alice relaxed in their seats in the Rara remote control piloting area. "Too bad," Ryla said, "we got destroyed in the first volley."

"We did our best," Mena shrugged.

Alice's mind had already turned to other matters. "Have Mitsuki and Kent set a date yet?"

"Once the war's over, of course," Ryla told her for the millionth time.

"Is Kent ever going to arrange for a best man?" Mena wondered aloud for the billionth time.

"I hope the best man will be cute," Alice said for the trillionth time.

Ryla made her own observation for the googleplexianth time: "Everyone's just been so happy around her since he finally asked the question."

* * *

Bad news about the green Core Robot was delivered by an Earth Defense Force officer, "Unit 4 is down, core is ejecting. Pilot life signs and life sympathy nominal."

"Good," Yayoi nodded. At least the pilot was all right. She could see on the war room screen that her other units had reached their next tactical positions.

* * *

Pres. Rara was watching the battle unfold from his main base, the warship disguised as an island. "Pursue them with due caution, Ms. Rah," he ordered. His daughter's alter ego accordingly sent the two jewel-cannon robots scurrying from cover to cover throughout the city, attempting to outflank the last known positions of the Core Robots. Himc bulled ahead as fast as it could. The buildings here were too high for Slade to look over, so he couldn't spot the hiding places of the Core Robots. He constantly checked the area as he moved forward, ready to fire his beam at any Core Robots that appeared.

* * *

An Earth Defense Force officer announced,"Units 2 and 7 have engaged the enemy!"

* * *

Ms. Rah was disgusted as she saw that the red and yellow units had been left in front to destroy any pursuers.

Ayuko crossed her arms angrily. Her husband, Pres. Rara, sputtered beside her at his war room screen. "Another entire shipment lost! Now Himc is entirely alone!"

"Destroy the puny opponents while they are vulnerable!" Ms. Rah demanded of Himc.

Himc continued on its forward course, and he fired his beam at them. They barely dodged and ran further away. Himc maintained its pursuit, but he could not match their speed. He saw the two units heading towards a mass of skyscrapers twice as tall as the titanic Himc before they turned behind some buildings and were lost to sight. This felt like a trap to Slade.

Slade asked, "Continue, Commander?" since she had not specified what to do should the targets no longer be vulnerable.

"Pursue them," she confirmed, "the fools cannot prepare a trap that can crush the power of our arms."

This blind confidence was not reassuring to Slade, but he continued nonetheless. He proceed toward and finally reached the side of the massive block of skyscrapers. Slade hoped not to have to enter unless he had to.

Slade and Ms. Rah simultaneously noticed a group of Core Robots on the side of the block opposite Himc. These Core Robots gathered on a street that ran through the block, and used the clear space of the street to fire their grenade launchers at Himc.

* * *

"Be prepared to fall back," Yayoi ordered them, hoping the rehearsals and training would get her pilots through this fight.

* * *

The Core Robots launched their assault, easily repulsed by Himc's powerful shields. Slade pivoted Himc to face them; he could only effectively use the beam when targets were in front of him. The Earth Defense Force fell back as planned, but Slade was still able to disable another robot, the purple one. It fell just beyond the block of tall buildings.

* * *

Yayoi grimly received the news, "Unit 6 disabled. Core unit ejecting, pilot alive but backwashed." The pilot of Unit 6 would be unable to pilot a robot again.

* * *

Slade resigned himself to moving directly through the block, where there was doubtless a trap. The robots had taken cover on the opposite side of the block. If Himc went around the block, it'd move so slowly that the Core Robots would have plenty of time to take up another hiding place and attack again. Their attacks hadn't yet hurt Himc, but he didn't like to count on that. Himc moved at its highest speed along the central street of the block.

* * *

Yayoi ordered all six Core Robots, "Open fire on special targets!"

* * *

The robots fired their grenade launchers at the base of the nearby buildings, and then ran forward and shoved the buildings inwards. Three of the Core Units were behind Himc, and the remaining three were before it. All of them shoved buildings on top of Himc, which was promptly buried in rubble.

* * *

Pres. Rara yelled, "Stupid Sanada!"

Ayuko scowled. "That is certainly a new tactic."

* * *

Ms. Rah raised an arm and bellowed, "The respectless cannot extinguish the fire of the RaRa Army! Himc lives to destroy all who rise against us!"

"Commander, I'm stuck," was all Slade could say.

* * *

Yayoi smiled fiercely. She hadn't seriously expected the giant's destruction; she had sought to immobilize it. The last battle where it had been jammed between two standing buildings made her realize that the giant robot was relatively vulnerable when it couldn't move. She commanded, "Take up firing positions!"

* * *

Himc was buried to its head in tons of debris. Slade applied full motive power forwards and backwards, up and down, and side to side, but could not move an inch. "Himc is immobilized, Commander," Slade reported.

"The fools are upon your sides, loose yourself and smite them!" Ms. Rah demanded. "Hit them with the beam!"

Slade replied, "I can't see them, Commander! Oh, there they are. They're out of my field of fire!"

* * *

Careful analysis of previous attacks had informed Yayoi that most of Himc's weapons could only be fired directly in front of it. She therefore had ordered the Earth Defense Force robots to take positions around its sides and back. Yayoi ordered, "All units, open fire."

* * *

The six Core Robots fired simultaneously, each volley timed so every round impacted Himc simultaneously.

A display overlaid itself on the RaRa war room screen. Himc had not been crushed already because of its incredibly powerful shield, which was repulsing the incredible weight of rubble. This had already strained the shield greatly, and now the shield was suffering even further, as indicated by the display. Pres. Rara told Ms. Rah, "Get Himc out of there!"

"Himc, move clear!" Ms. Rah appropriately told Himc.

"Affirmative, Commander," Slade said in a strained voice. The main beam of Himc lanced out at the rubble in front of it as he tried to cut the debris away. The beam was powerful, but it wasn't having a fast enough effect. He couldn't use the high-energy bullet, because even at the low energy level he preferred, Himc would be caught in the blast radius.

* * *

Yayoi stared at the screen. Destroying all the small robots Rara could get his hands on for a while was a feat in itself, but destroying Himc was essential to the Earth Defense Force ever being able to win the war. If it would only remain imprisoned for several more minutes, it could be destroyed. The Earth Defense Force would have to win back most of the globe from the RaRa Army, but the destruction of the giant robot would still be a giant victory.

Ms. Rah shoved her open palm in front of her. "Himc, move!" she demanded with a shout.

Tersely, Kent replied, "Working on it," his voice full of the strain.

The Core Robots emptied round after round into Himc.

* * *

Pres. Rara's hands molded into fists that he clenched on his throne. Ayuko's eyes smoldered with wrath.

The display indicated Himc's shields were nearly gone.

* * *

Core Robot Unit 8's pilot screamed.

An Earth Defense Force officer's mouth fell open in shock. "Lieutenant!" she called. "Unit 8 has just been disabled! Pilot backwashed!"

Yayoi leaned forward and commanded, "Enlarge Unit 2's video feed!"

The small window showing Unit 2's view of the world expanded to fill the whole screen. Himc's head, the target for the Core Robots, was squarely in the middle of the view, and the pink robot which had just been disabled was on the side of the picture. Nothing drastic appeared wrong with it. Had Unit 8 been human instead of merely a humanoid robot, an observer would've said it was just flopping to the ground with exaggerated exhaustion. That was all that could be seen between the explosions and the smoke and dust, which obscured most of the view. There was then a rash of interference patterns on Unit 2's video feed until the whole picture devolved into static. Another officer declared, "Unit 2's core link is severed! Pilot backwashed! Essential control systems scrambled, but the Core Unit is ejecting properly, as is Unit 8's Core Unit!" Yayoi wondered if there was another RaRa robot striking from ambush.

* * *

Slade's voice came to the RaRa Army after a lengthy silence from Himc's cockpit. "I'm getting them, Commander," he grunted.

* * *

The wind changed, and most of the dust and smoke was blown away from the rubble pile. Now Yayoi could see clearly through the video feeds of the four remaining Core Robots. "What damages are being inflicted on the Core Robots?" Yayoi inquired, trying to determine what sort of attack they faced.

"Many of the electrical components are being overloaded-" The officer interrupted himself, "Lieutenant, we lost Unit 5!"

This time, Yayoi had been able to see how it happened. A golden tentacle had poked itself out of the rubble, groped a moment, and grabbed onto Unit 5's foot. Then the tentacle and Unit 5 arced with orange discharges, until the tentacle's hand released.

* * *

"The black robot's down," breathed Pres. Rara. The display indicated Himc's shields were improving as the Core Robots attacking it were being eliminated. "It looks like the white one will be next, or maybe the yellow one."

* * *

Yayoi was horrified to see, on the videos of her three remaining units, three tentacles meandering, finding their targets. A fourth erupted from another location. Yayoi knew the battle was lost, and so pressed the callsign.

* * *

Pres. Rara erupted in relieved and triumphant laughter.

From her perch on the battlefield, Ms. Rah strode forward with a gesture and proclaimed, "The glorious Mr. Rara is triumphant!"

* * *

Yayoi stood from her seat and announced, "Thank you all for your discipline and fortitude in this difficult time. I am glad that all of us have survived to fight another day."

* * *

Ever since Slade had realized that the Earth Defense Force was staying out of his field of fire, he had set out to move Himc's tentacles through the rubble. It was hard work, trying to control six limbs, and move them through compact, heavy rubble which he could not directly see. Slade was just glad he had recalled that Himc could send energy pulses through its tentacles, meaning he could assault any robot with only one tentacle.

Himc's tentacles now turned to pulling the debris off of it, and with tentacles and beam working together, Slade was making great progress.

* * *

Dr. Sanada looked around and suddenly remembered, "Oh, no! I totally forgot a class I'm teaching! And I've got another one fifteen minutes from now!"

Promptly, Mrs. Nanjyoin stood up. "Please pardon us for our intrusion, doctor. We won't impose upon you any longer."

Dr. Sanada bowed to her, and she bowed back, and he spoke while fidgeting, "Thank you, good bye, it was good to meet you, maybe we can meet again."

He turned to his counterpart. "Goodbye, me," both Sanadas said at the same time.

"We can show ourselves out of this universe," Cmdr. Sanada added.

Dr. Sanada shouted, "Goodbye!" over his shoulder as he ran out the door.

"I forgot to lock it," Cmdr. Sanada said as he walked to the door and locked it from the inside.

Mrs. Nanjyoin looked at him. "We should return to the base now, Commander."

He turned a surprised face towards her. "We've got a whole parallel world to explore!"

"The chat with your counterpart was fascinating," Mrs. Nanjyoin said sincerely, "but this world is unable to help us."

"Yeah," the commander agreed, "but what I meant is the third world. The one that the hulk and Unit 2 went to. We haven't even gotten to go there yet."

"The doctor has made me rather concerned about the reliability of the transporter," Mrs. Nanjyoin told him. "I don't want us to suffer the same fate as Mr. Slade. I'd like to see if we can return safely to our world. If we can, then we ought to explore the third universe."

"You've got a point," the commander admitted, and they went to the basement. They had confirmed with Dr. Sanada that the parallel world transporter could take only one person at a time. The commander set the controls for the same room in the Earth Defense Force base that they had left. This time Mrs. Nanjyoin went first, at Cmdr. Sanada's insistence, and he went second.

* * *

Cmdr. Sanada saw Inspector Yamano walk into the room. She had heard the transport noise, and hurried inside. She told them both, "I'm very happy to see you again!"

"Me too!" crowed Cmdr. Sanada.

Inspector Yamano shot him a look and moved on. "Have you had any success?"

"I'm afraid not," Mrs. Nanjyoin shook her head. "I hope you have fared better?"

Yayoi entered the room and saluted. "Commander," she said, "I regret that we have lost the battle."

Cmdr. Sanada shrugged. "Too bad. Well, thanks for holding down the fort."

"Commander," Inspector Yamano argued, "Lt. Schwael did her best. She was only minutes away from beating the big robot, and no one could have done better than her. I must, however, impress on you the seriousness of the situation. This base, our headquarters, is well within striking range of the RaRa Army."

"I'm going to have to move to the base dormitories," Cmdr. Sanada mused, "it just wouldn't be proper for the Commander of the Earth Defense Force to live next door to a maniac who wants to rule the world."

Inspector Yamano exclaimed, "You must take more decisive action, Commander! If something isn't done, soon you won't be able to live at the base either, because that ugly old man will have captured it!"

"Inspector Yamano," the commander assured her, "I have thought through the problem. It's quite a dilemma. Either I, the Commander of the Earth Defense Force, lives on a base the enemy has captured, or I become a wanderer with no place to lay my head. Neither is at all appropriate for my responsibility to conduct this army properly."

The inspector wasn't sure she was getting through. "Perhaps more importantly, our Core Robots will have no place to lay their heads, or be repaired with what few parts we have left."

Cmdr. Sanada looked seriously at everyone. "Any trailers yet?"

"No sir," Yayoi told him. "We have no indications as to when the RaRa Army wishes to fight next."

Cmdr. Sanada informed them, "The Super Ultra-Deluxe Parallel World Transporter can only take one person at a time, so we'd better not use it to flee. I want everyone to begin preparations for a tactical retreat aboard our artifact warship. The Core Robots are already in the base's hangar, right?"

"Yes, Commander," Yayoi said.

"We'll just leave them there for the time being, but load all our spare parts aboard the artifact carrier," Cmdr. Sanada directed. "We'll move the robots to the carrier after the next fight. I also want everyone to begin living aboard the carrier now, so we get everyone settled and moved in before we run out of time."

Inspector Yamano stared at him. "I was hoping for something more inspiring than running away."

Cmdr. Sanada grinned cheekily at her. "You did remind me that we're within range of the RaRa Army. It's my job to establish contingency plans for desperate situations." His eyes flashed. "Don't anyone worry. We're going to do everything we can to hold this base. All of us will do our best to win not just the next few fights, but the whole war." He smiled again. "I just want us to be prepared for the worst."

Mrs. Nanjyoin stated, "It appears essential that we visit the other parallel world, Commander. The transportation process is clearly quite safe."

"Yeah, my Super Ultra-Deluxe Parallel World Transporter is quite a beauty!" the commander enthused.

Inspector Yamano rolled her eyes. "You didn't build it. The other you is the one to whom it belongs."

"Yeah, I built it," nodded the commander.

"Perhaps it'd be best to start right away, Commander," Mrs. Nanjyoin pulled out her signaler.

He checked his watch. "It's closer to dinner than it was a while ago. Maybe the other me will have more ramen!"

Yayoi saluted. "Goodbye again."

"Goodbye," Mrs. Nanjyoin bowed to everyone.

She and then the commander left that universe.

* * *

Cmdr. Sanada saw Mrs. Nanjyoin patiently sitting in the padded leather chair, comfortable in the basement of Dr. Sanada, the man they had just visited. Cmdr. Sanada went over to the computer, and reset it, ordering it to send them to the basement of his house in the parallel universe the giant robot and Unit 2 had visited for a brief moment.

Commander Sanada called, "Ready, Mrs. Nanjyoin?"

"Yes, Commander," responded Mrs. Nanjyoin.

Her transport was completed successfully, and the commander then transported himself to that world.

* * *

The main characters return in 1 day! 


	34. Advent Ch 3

Chapter 3

Cmdr. Sanada looked around the basement of his home in the synthesis universe. "What! This is just used for storage!" he cried.

"Indeed," Mrs. Nanjyoin calmly agreed, "there isn't a scientific instrument about."

The commander couldn't believe his eyes. "Not even a beginning at making a parallel world transporter? Maybe this isn't my house in this universe."

"That seems unlikely, Commander," Mrs. Nanjyoin stated.

"I'm glad we brought these signalers, or we'd be stuck here." The commander shook his head. "My other self is really letting me down."

"Perhaps he maintains a transporter at a different site," Mrs. Nanjyoin stated. She also did not believe that Cmdr. Sanada in any universe could be prevented from at least beginning to make such a device.

"Yeah, a huge one!" said Commander Sanada. "Like that mobile wide-area transporter Rara and I were talking about before we heard about the artifact. Maybe we're keeping that someplace else!"

Mrs. Nanjyoin asked, "Commander, what will we do if there are no artifacts or pilots in this universe?"

He shrugged. "We'll do the best we can with what we've already got. Maybe it'll be enough."

* * *

In the world he had just come from, Kent Slade walked down the corridors of the RaRa Army base. He was talking to Pres. Rara, saying, "I'm really grateful we got those seat belts installed in Himc, sir. When the rubble fell on me, I felt like I was going to be thrown out of my seat with the seat belts on- I don't want to know what it would've been like without them!"

Pres. Rara shook his head. "That was quite a reversal you managed. I'm glad you're safe." He grinned. "Stay safe as long as it takes to get me some grandchildren!"

Kent attempted to laugh and salute. "Yes, sir!" He smiled again, "If I do end up with whiplash, I'll just have to sue the Earth Defense Force!"

Their laughter rang down the hallway.

* * *

Ms. Hayase and Mitsuki Rara were talking privately in one of the RaRa base's residential areas.

Ms. Hayase shook her head sadly. "We're still without any alternatives, Ms. Mitsuki. The Earth Defense Force is too weak. Even if we were able to successfully sabotage our forces, there would be a power vacuum. Your parents made up their justification about preventing the planet from going to war for the artifacts' powers, but if we remove the RaRa Army from the equation, that's just what will happen. The Earth Defense Force and a weakened RaRa Army can't fend off the world."

"Maybe I ought to defect myself," Mitsuki suggested. "I could join the Earth Defense Force and make it stronger."

"No, Ms. Mitsuki!" Ms. Hayase pleaded.

"It's better than participating in evil here. You could disable or at least weaken Himc while I fight for the Earth Defense Force." Mitsuki continued, relentlessly and remorsefully. "The Earth Defense Force would win, Kent wouldn't be killed, and the Earth Defense Force would be strong enough to guard the artifact with eight robots."

Ms. Hayase shook her head. "Your mother trusts no one, Ms. Mitsuki, but she especially doesn't trust me. If you were able to successfully escape, I'd be implicated and removed from my position, and then I wouldn't be able to weaken Himc for you."

Mitsuki nodded, and they were silent for a moment. Mitsuki Rara spoke again, "We ought to leave even if there is no chance of winning."

"We can't take that sort of risk without any hope," Ms. Hayase insisted. "From in here we can do something when the time is right. Trying to escape now would be very dangerous and change nothing. Even if Himc could be disabled, the other robots from the artifact could quickly be brought online, and the Earth Defense Force can't defeat them either, with or without your help or my help. While here, I've nearly gotten access to the system your mother installed for controlling the robots remotely, and you're still in authority. We must act where we can change things, and for now, that is from the inside."

Mitsuki Rara looked at her friend sorrowfully. "Thank you."

Ms. Hayase returned the look. "I thank you. These are my convictions as well."

* * *

Mitsuki Sanada was alone in the kitchen, as far as she knew, preparing something for dinner. She was only slightly startled when she heard something behind her, and she turned quickly to see who it was.

"Hi, Mrs. Nanjyoin, hi Dad," she said, pleased to see them.

She had been about to return to slicing the vegetable, but their gawking made her stop. Was there some problem? She turned and saw that only her father was visibly gawking, but she was pretty sure that Mrs. Nanjyoin was surprised as well.

"I'm your father?" Cmdr. Sanada said in shock.

"Of course, Dad," Mitsuki laughed. "You always have been. Wait- what are you doing home at this time," and then she gasped, laying the knife carefully upon the counter. "Oh no. You're a counterpart of you, aren't you? Dad, have you been making a parallel world transporter again?"

So, he had a daughter, and now was being berated by her. "Well, uh, I didn't actually make the transporter, another me made it."

"Another one of you! Do you have any idea how many problems this is going to cause! You're trying to tell me that there are three of you running about! I'm going to have to go to the store again to pick up more onions!"

"Please don't go to any trouble on my account!" begged Cmdr. Sanada; he hated onions. Mitsuki Sanada knew this, but insisted upon his eating them anyways.

Mrs. Nanjyoin intervened. "We're sorry to have alarmed you, Ms. Sanada. Perhaps we should've made it clear that the commander won't be able to stay for supper."

"That's all right, Mrs. Nanjyoin," Mitsuki Sanada declared, "as long as he does eat onions sometime." Cmdr. Sanada made a face at the prospect.

Mitsuki Sanada eyed them both. "Mrs. Nanjyoin, did you just call him the Commander?" Mrs. Nanjyoin nodded. Unsurprised, Mitsuki concluded, "The stupid war is still going on in your world. A lot of people saw Unit 2 and Himc fighting."

"You know about it?" cried Cmdr. Sanada, again in surprise but this time also in delight.

"Of course I do. I had to fight for a long time to get that stupid thing over with so Kazuki and I could finally get home," Mitsuki Sanada thus synopsized the entire adventure as though she had hated it.

"I'm so happy! What a wonderful daughter you are!" He ran forward and hugged her, and she easily returned it- he was her father, after all. Cmdr. Sanada yelled, "Oh, I really need your help again, my daughter. It's so wonderful to finally have found someone to be able to help! My own daughter a top-rated pilot!"

When released, Mitsuki Sanada commented, "I guess that means we'll have to fight the stupid war all over again. I hope this time I won't have to be near Ayuko." Being captured by Ayuko was still a rankling memory for her.

Mrs. Nanjyoin assured her, "We certainly don't want to burden you with drudgery. You don't have to fight for us, and Ayuko is not on our side."

"Thanks, Mrs. Nanjyoin, but the fighting is actually rather pleasant when I'm on Dad's side. I don't really mind," Mitsuki Sanada told her.

Seconds later, Kumu exploded into Cmdr. Sanada's feet, vigorously rubbing her head against him; then she stopped, backed up a few paces, and sniffed him more carefully. Dee entered from the door that Kumu had arrived through. She called to him, "Hi Dad, I didn't expect you home already. Are you abandoning your poor students again? You promised Mom you wouldn't do that in this universe." Dee busied herself getting Kumu's food and water prepared while Kumu reluctantly decided to give Cmdr. Sanada a few half-hearted licks and departed to follow Dee.

"D, you're, what, uh, what happened to your eye?" Commander Sanada stared at her.

"Commander!" Mrs. Nanjyoin reproached.

Dee's two curious human eyes regarded them. Mitsuki Sanada explained, "D, this isn't quite Dad." She meant to go on, but the commander interrupted.

"How did I get to be her father too!" the commander exclaimed.

"You're right. I understand now. He's another him!" Dee told Mitsuki. Mrs. Nanjyoin sighed.

Yayoi stepped briskly into the kitchen, attracted by the noise. "Doctor Sanada, Kazuki is presumably trying to study, if he isn't loafing on the computer again. I would appreciate it if you didn't shout."

"I have a son too?" Commander Sanada backed into a corner. "And what are you doing at our house, Lieutenant?"

"He's really your nephew, but he's like a son to you," Dee helpfully explained. "Yayoi's here all the time."

Yayoi stared at the commander and her grandmother's counterpart, then began to comprehend.

"I meant to say a few minutes ago," Mitsuki Sanada recovered, "that these are the counterparts of Dad and Mrs. Nanjyoin. They're from another universe."

"Doubtless the one that sent Unit 2," Yayoi deduced.

"And Himc," D shuddered and concentrated on feeding Kumu.

Mrs. Nanjyoin asked, "What's Himc?"

Mitsuki Sanada rolled her eyes at the memory of it. "It's the name of the big robot with all those golden tentacles."

Akane bustled in from buying groceries, placing some bags on the counter, and gave Commander Sanada a quick hug, a peck on the cheek, and a "Hello dear." Mrs. Nanjyoin was so overcome she actually giggled.

"Help!" Commander Sanada shouted. "She's been overcome by my charm!"

* * *

Kazuki wondered what all the fuss was about in the kitchen, but it was probably more of the usual odd circumstances in Dr. Sanada's house. He didn't dare leave his room without his homework completed. He was glad he had finally gotten it done for today, and could finally surf the Internet without fear of reproof. He was very surprised when Akane knocked on his door and asked him to come downstairs.

"Uh, okay," Kazuki agreed, and quickly went downstairs to the sitting room. "Hello, Mrs. Nanjyoin," he greeted her, and looked at Cmdr. Sanada. "Uncle, I didn't expect you home now!"

Commander Sanada stood up and peered down at Kazuki, scrutinizing him. Kazuki sighed. "You're not my uncle, are you?" he asked in a weary voice.

"The other me is your uncle, but I am an abnormality from another universe!" Cmdr. Sanada exclaimed. "And you must be the extraordinary male who can pilot a robot! I'm so excited to meet you!"

"We've been telling him about you," Akane explained. Yayoi and Mitsuki Sanada had returned to preparing dinners. Dee sat near Mrs. Nanjyoin, with Kumu resting on her lap. Akane continued, "They want us to pilot robots for them again."

Kazuki grimaced, "I know Mitsuki enjoys combat piloting, but I find it so nerve-wracking!"

"You'd definitely enjoy tearing up the RaRa Army with Zinv's power fully unlocked," Mitsuki Sanada put in from the kitchen. "Maybe," Kazuki grudgingly admitted.

"Oh yes, we never got to that!" Commander Sanada stepped even closer to Kazuki. "What are Zinv's full abilities?"

The voice of Dr. Sanada answered him, "Oh, they're incredible! They make his gravity shells look like sneezes! Hello everyone, hello me, we're home!"

Commander Sanada turned around to see his counterpart enter the room, greeted gaily by everyone. "Hello me," Cmdr. Sanada shook his counterpart's hand, "I've been looking forward to meeting myself again."

Dr. Sanada put a hand to his temple. "I'm really confusing myself. This is the first time we've met as far as I know."

"I met another one of me in another universe," Cmdr. Sanada explained.

"Now I understand." Dr. Sanada noticed Mrs. Nanjyoin on the couch. "Oh, Mrs. Nanjyoin," he said, "I'd better introduce you to yourself."

Another Mrs. Nanjyoin entered the room and bowed to everyone. Mrs. Nanjyoin bowed back from where she sat.

"I presume this is about the appearance of the robots?" the synthesis Mrs. Nanjyoin inquired.

"Indeed," the other one nodded back. Neither appeared at all fazed.

Yayoi stood in the doorway. "Grandmother," she said to the room in general, since it was very difficult to tell the two identically dressed Mrs. Nanjyoins apart, "I wanted to ask you whom among the Raras we should tell about this. We should probably tell Mitsuki, and definitely not tell Ayuko, but should we tell Dr. Rara?"

The bodyguard trio could be heard at the door, taking off their shoes. "I'm really good at keeping secrets!" Alice jumped up and down. "What is it, what is it! Tell me!"

Dr. Sanada looked at Yayoi in surprise. Mitsuki Sanada almost dropped a pan, and when she had a better grasp asked aloud, "When did they get here?"

"Only now. They came with me as usual," Mitsuki Rara said from behind her. Mitsuki Sanada did drop the pan.

Mitsuki Rara stepped forward in concern and Yayoi turned around in surprise as the other Mitsuki hurriedly picked up the pan. "Are you all right?" Mitsuki Rara asked.

"Oh, look in there," Mitsuki Sanada sighed.

Mitsuki Rara did briefly, and said, "Oh, yes, I knew another Dr. Sanada was in there; I didn't know another Mrs. Nanjyoin had come too."

Mitsuki Sanada looked at her and asked, "How did you know Dad's counterpart was here?"

"I heard them both outside. It was either that or he was talking loudly to himself again," she explained. The other Mitsuki grunted in agreement, and they both focused their attentions on making Kazuki's dinners.

Cmdr. Sanada commented to his counterpart, "Wow, you sure do have a lively house. May I stay for supper?"

"Commander!" reproached Mrs. Nanjyoin. "You have responsibilities to attend to back at the base. Your presence is required."

"Okay," grumbled Cmdr. Sanada as he pulled out a signaler.

"Don't worry, Mrs. Nanjyoin," Mitsuki Sanada said firmly, "he's like this in every world."

Commander Sanada hit the button on his signaler, and was surrounded by the green light. In a few seconds, he was back in his other counterpart's basement, where he set the computer to send him back to the universe of responsibility.

* * *

The trio had walked in upon the transport, and Ryla said to the two Mrs. Nanjyoins, "Oh, just proof of a parallel universe. That's not a very big secret. You'll have to forgive Alice; she can get so worked up."

Dr. Sanada was still rubbing his palms together, happy to be able to witness a dimensional transport from such close range.

Mrs. Nanjyoin from the other universe nodded to Ryla, and looked to Yayoi. "About your question, about who among the Raras to inform. I've been told they already know about Unit 2 and Himc's reappearance, so I'm not sure there's anything to gain by keeping them in the dark."

The other Mrs. Nanjyoin shook her head. "My, or our, granddaughter has a point; under no circumstances must Ayuko be informed of these developments." She eyed the trio.

"Alice isn't the only one who's good at keeping secrets," Mena responded for all three.

Kazuki was greatly relieved. "Thank you, ladies."

Yayoi returned to the kitchen.

Dr. Sanada declared, "Then it's settled. We'll only tell that idiot about it when we use the mobile wide-area dimensional transporters at the lab to send Zinv and all of us through to your world, Mrs. Nanjyoin."

"Dad," Mitsuki Sanada called from the kitchen, "That won't work!"

Mitsuki Rara, also in the kitchen, explained her cousin's statement: "It's very likely that my mother will find out whatever my father knows about the situation."

Ryla suggested, "We could take advantage of the device that the other Dr. Sanada just used. Mrs. Nanjyoin has one, and maybe we could set up some sort of relay for ferrying people into the other world. Mitsuki's parents would never have to know."

Mrs. Nanjyoin from the synthesis universe commented, "That's a good idea, but the disadvantage is that we'll have to leave Zinv here, since the signalers' transported can't take something of his size."

Akane remembered, "Yes, we were discussing this the other evening. Mrs. Nanjyoin, is there a Zinv in your universe?"

"I'm not sure," the counterpart to Mrs. Nanjyoin replied. "Where would we begin looking?"

Dr. Sanada described the sealed door underground in the cave complex of the Earth Defense Force base, behind which Zinv slept. As he did so, Dee watched Mrs. Nanjyoin from the other world very closely.

Mrs. Nanjyoin from the other world spoke deliberately once the description was completed. "There was an earthquake just before the excavations began. When we reached the area you just described, we found the door you mentioned, but it was cracked open by debris from the roof. Some people climbed the debris and made their way through the cracks. On the other side, all we could see was a hole. No further investigation was made since there were so many other discoveries being made in far safer areas of the base."

Dee took a deep breath and kept a calm expression. At least now she knew of the other Zinv's fate.


	35. Advent Ch 4

Chapter 4

"Wait a minute," Kazuki said. "There was another me in that world, so maybe there isn't another Zinv. But what if Zinv is still intact at the bottom of that hole?"

Dee's eyes widened; she hadn't thought of that.

The Mrs. Nanjyoin from another world considered this. "He may or may not be at the bottom of the hole; we never looked."

Dr. Sanada spoke. "I don't think we can count on being able to use the other Zinv, though. We're just going to have to use the wide-area transporter and hope Ayuko doesn't find out."

Dee nodded.

It was now dinnertime, time for the new Mrs. Nanjyoin to grow used to the sight of all Kazuki's servings of food. After a few bites, Kazuki commented, "How can we possibly conceal the fact that Zinv is missing?"

Mitsuki Sanada said, "That's easy, Kazuki. You'd certainly notice if Zinv disappeared, but Ayuko doesn't care at all about what happens at the lab. If we just can convince Uncle Rara to be quiet, she'll never be interested enough to find out what's going on there."

Mitsuki Rara nodded.

Mrs. Nanjyoin asked, "I take it that all of you have some interest in going?"

Akane shook her head. "It was an exciting time, but my other self and I would not enjoy tripping over each other."

"Yeah," her husband agreed, "the two of you would probably start pulling U.N. regulations on each other!"

Akane eyed him, "Why wouldn't that be a valid way to settle any differences that arose?"

"Maybe because U.N. regulations don't address parallel worlds? What do they address anyways? Anything important?" Dr. Sanada joked.

Akane had learned enough to avoid such obvious baiting. "I also think it'd be unwise for there to be two commanders," she commented.

Dr. Sanada frowned. "Not again. I already had to say goodbye to one daughter when she went off to fight in another world. Now I'll have to do it for all of you."

"Ken, the Earth Defense Force can't have two leaders who look and act exactly alike," Akane insisted.

The frown remained on Dr. Sanada's face. "She's right, but that doesn't make it any easier."

The other Mrs. Nanjyoin commented, "If I understand the situation correctly, everyone else present would like to go to the other world. That means that Ms. Rara would be absent from her family, possibly for months or years. I believe this would alert her mother to what is happening."

Yayoi looked at the counterpart of her grandmother. "Are you certain? She can be somewhat neglectful."

"Perhaps," Mitsuki Rara spoke up, "but she'd definitely notice I was gone within a few days. I don't want to consider what she'd do if she thought she could enter the other world and win the war for her side."

Dee asked, "What can we do? I don't want to leave you behind!"

The bodyguard trio exchanged a sly look. Ryla spoke up, "We have an idea. It's simple, really. We just need a good excuse for her not to be there for a long time."

"This is the age when girls become women," Alice thought aloud with a mischievous grin.

Mena finally outlined the plan, "So all we have to do is tell Ayuko that she eloped with Kazuki!"

Kazuki coughed violently for no apparent reason. Mitsuki Rara blushed as Mitsuki Sanada shouted, "What!" Yayoi arched an eyebrow in irritation and D shrunk back into her seat.

Dr. Sanada looked at them all in surprise. "What's the matter with all of you? It makes sense to me!" Akane put her head in her hands.

"I cannot stand for such permissive conduct," Yayoi asserted.

Mitsuki Sanada suggested with an undertone of irritation, "Maybe she eloped with somebody else and Kazuki eloped with me!"

"He got to elope with you last time," Mena pointed out.

Kazuki gasped aggrievedly, "I've never eloped with anyone!" and continued to drink in the hopes that his throat would heal.

Mitsuki Rara looked at her friends. "Do we really have to lie to my parents?"

Kazuki finished frantically sipping his drink and pointed out, "It's a little overused, too. Dr. Rara already knows Uncle Sanada used a similar one on my parents."

"But this is your golden opportunity!" the trio hissed at both of them in loud whispers.

"I'm going to be fighting in Zinv; I'll be too busy for anything else!" Kazuki was trying to be reasonable. He was uncomfortably aware of everyone's eyes upon him.

Dee pointed out anxiously, "This isn't really too hard. We could just tell Aunt Ayuko that her daughter is going to be staying with us for a long time, which is true. If we had to, we could even get Mitsuki to return to this world from time to time. Aunt isn't caring enough to probe further, and Uncle Rara won't tell her where she's staying with us."

"Dee has a point," Mrs. Nanjyoin from the synthesis world declared.

The trio huffed and looked at Kazuki. He decided to attempt changing the subject.

"I just realized I assumed we'd be fighting the same enemies as last time. Mrs. Nanjyoin, can you tell us what sort of enemies we'll be facing?"

The counterpart to Mrs. Nanjyoin considered and said, "The RaRa Army used to field a wide variety of giant robots that fought alone. Now they simply deploy the giant gold and brown unit, Himc as you call it, and smaller brown robots that have purple beam weapons on their shoulders."

Mitsuki Sanada was shocked. "They've finished Himc already?"

"Father must've done things very differently in that universe. What could've caused the change?" Mitsuki Rara wondered aloud.

Yayoi told them, "From what grandmother was telling us earlier, the RaRa Army apparently chose early on to curtail their production of other robots in favor of Himc and the jeweled robots. Those were always their most effective units."

"They must've found a suitable pilot very early on," Mitsuki Rara said softly.

Mrs. Nanjyoin, the one from another world, looked at Kazuki, "Could this young man be the pilot?"

After a moment of being stunned, Kazuki recovered and replied, "No, there was another me out on the street watching as Himc fought. We don't think that other me even knows he can pilot robots."

"I was only checking," she assured him.

Dr. Sanada leaned forward. "I'm a bit surprised, though; I'd have thought the fights would go at least a little bit smoother with those extra Core Robots you said we have in that other world."

"Unfortunately that is not the case. Himc has managed to intimidate most of our pilots by its merciless and instantly destructive use of several of its tentacles and its beam." Mrs. Nanjyoin related.

"Huh?" Kazuki said.

"Please elaborate, grandmother," Yayoi requested. "Those are new tactics for Himc."

Mrs. Nanjyoin paused and thought further. "Himc will grasp a robot by its four limbs in four of its six tentacles, and then use the beam weapon to cut off its arms and legs in two sweeps. Even if the control systems are intact and the pilot is not backwashed, the robot is helpless."

Everyone looked at each other in confusion.

She continued, "My granddaughter's counterpart has contemplated many tactics, but to no avail. Sometimes it dodges bullets, sometimes it simply takes the hits on its shields. It is simply too powerful for us to take down with our current strength."

"It can dodge things?" Dee asked in astonishment.

The other Mrs. Nanjyoin agreed, "I also thought it was far too slow for such things."

The Mrs. Nanjyoin from the other world nodded and qualified, "It dodges slowly, which is perhaps why the pilot doesn't do it often, but it does make the attempt sometimes."

Mitsuki Rara looked at Mitsuki Sanada. Mitsuki Sanada said with certainty, "No one's ever piloted it like that before."

Mitsuki Rara added, "There aren't many people who can pilot it, either, so I thought that the only people who can control it are in this room. It tends to reject most pilots. I can't imagine anyone would be at its controls without any manipulation, and yet that seems to be the case if it fights regularly."

Dee had almost forgotten her meal. "Himc has never tried to dodge an attack!"

"I should clarify, grandmother," Yayoi clarified for the new Mrs. Nanjyoin, "that Dee has fought Himc from a long time ago."

"Sometimes it uses many of its tentacles," Dee went on, "but it never used them to grasp an enemy and then slice it apart."

Yayoi concurred, "Its whole design strategy is to absorb any hit with its shields and overpower the enemy by sheer force. Someone trying to give it an edge with evasive maneuvers is unheard of. No one we have any knowledge of is the pilot, and that pilot has made full use of Himc's abilities."

Mrs. Nanjyoin from the other world calmly stated, "Himc is unusual and dangerous. If you would rather not make the journey, you do not have to."

"Mrs. Nanjyoin," Mitsuki Sanada said firmly, "we'd all fight the RaRa Army even if Kazuki here couldn't beat Himc easily."

Dr. Sanada stood up. "There's another reason that someone has to go to the other world," he stated. "Mrs. Nanjyoin, this universe was made when two universes were colliding. Today, Ms. Hayase finally had enough data to run her crash simulation. This universe, the one Mrs. Nanjyoin came from, and a third one for some reason, are all converging. In less than a year, they're going to collide and annihilate each other."

The entire table was silent.

"Dr. Sanada," Mrs. Nanjyoin from the other world asked, "what does this mean?"

"Somehow," he explained, "we have to reconcile all the contradictions between all three worlds. I suppose that means we're going to have to destroy every piece of artifact technology again, since from what you tell us, it only exists in your world." He looked at Kazuki, who finished for him, "Right, Uncle. Zinv and I are ready to do it again."

His face was set and determined, and everyone looked sadly at him.

"Hey, I just thought of something!" exclaimed Dr. Sanada, and all eyes were turned upon him. "We ought to take Ms. Hayase as well! Since we gave her a chance, she's turned out to be a pretty good pilot!"

The very room they were in, the floorboards and walls, seemed to groan.

"Dear," Akane sighed, "we thought you had come up with an idea to stave off disaster without risking Kazuki's life."

"Hey, it turned out fine last time. In fact, better than fine," Dr. Sanada pointed out.

"Dad! It's easy to say that when you aren't risking your life!" Mitsuki Sanada pointed back.

"Who is Ms. Hayase?" asked Mrs. Nanjyoin from the other world.

Her counterpart answered her, "She's a talented scientist whom we've been teaching to pilot the giant robots. I believe that she'll be an excellent addition to the piloting team."

"Kazuki, I have one request to make of you," Dr. Sanada said suddenly. Kazuki looked at him. "Kazuki," he continued, "why don't you let me be the one to make the parallel universe this time?"

"Why you, Uncle?" Kazuki asked, totally confused.

"Last time, you and my daughter had the controls, and you got to marry Akane and me. This time I want you to elope with somebody! Hahahaha! My words shall be as law! It'll be the ultimate use of artifact power! Hahahahaha!" He waved his arms in the air.

Kazuki blanched as Mitsuki Rara gasped in surprise at this outburst. Mitsuki Sanada deliberately stopped eating, allowing only a small trace of her building anger to radiate from her. Kazuki ventured, "Uh, I think, uh," and he couldn't get much further. For one thing, he was encountering Zinv's reflection of his wild panic, resulting in an amplified feeling of alarm in his head. For another, Mena was whispering into Dr. Sanada's ear, "He says yes, and he wants to go with Mitsuki Rara!"

Mitsuki Sanada fumed silently a moment, and Kazuki braced himself for her explosion.

Then she smiled. "Kazuki doesn't have to elope. After all, when we made this universe, Mom and Dad were able to have a proper wedding."

"What a good point, Mitsuki," Yayoi leaned forwards. "Of course, I'm sure Kazuki already has this arranged and will be able to incorporate it into the new world himself without anyone accidentally sitting on levers."

Dee giggled with a strange gleam in her eye, almost like that she had in her days as a bioroid.

Kazuki now had an entirely unexpected anxiety about this mission's ending.


	36. Advent Ch 5

Chapter 5

"Slade, this is just a bit of an advance warning," Pres. Rara told him. "As soon as we get some more jewel-cannon robots, which should be in a day or two, we're going to move to finish the war."

"It's going to be over? Just like that?" Kent Slade was astonished.

Dr. Rara was surprised by his question, and carefully responded, "Yes, I'm going to attack the Earth Defense Force base. It'll be the effective end of the war. There's only a small amount of territory stupid Sanada can flee to, and we've got all of it surrounded."

Slowly, Kent had begun to learn some of what had gone on in this oddball world; that he was fighting the counterpart of the man who had sent him into this world, and that these gigantic fighting machines were unearthed in Japan. He therefore now understood who Dr. Rara meant by "stupid Sanada." After all his battles against Cmdr. Sanada's army, Kent wasn't inclined to call him stupid, just unlucky.

"I'll do my best, sir," Kent assured him. He wondered if the end really was in sight.

* * *

In the synthesis universe, Mrs. Nanjyoin from the other world looked up at the giant figure of Zinv. "It's very impressive," she commented. "I'm sure that the commander will thoroughly enjoy having it on his side."

"Mrs. Nanjyoin," Mitsuki Sanada told her, "he unfortunately won't get to see it very soon. I have to tell you that this slowpoke takes a month to travel between dimensions, and we take no time at all."

"It's not like I'm dawdling!" protested Kazuki as he prepared to enter the cockpit. "I have no control over how long it takes!"

"Zinv's just as much a slowpoke as he is," Mitsuki Sanada continued, "so that's why Kazuki gets to ride in it all by himself."

"There's room for two in that cockpit," Yayoi pointed out.

"Yayoi," Mitsuki Sanada glared, "we wouldn't want anyone else to be unavailable for a month, would we, now?"

Mrs. Nanjyoin was perturbed only on the inside, and said, "I'm not sure I understand. It will take us all a month to return to Commander Sanada?"

Mitsuki Sanada shook her head. "No, the rest of us should get there as soon as we activate the transporter. It's just that Kazuki and Zinv will only show up a month from now, in the other world."

Dee asked, "I wonder where they are until then?"

Ms. Hayase had said her goodbyes and taken care of some last minute details and now joined the group. She responded to Dee's question by saying, "To be entirely accurate, as soon as they undergo the transport, they are immediately placed in the other world one month in the future."

Kazuki hung back from the cockpit. "Now Dee's got me thinking; where am I until one month from now?"

"You should be used to not existing by now," Mitsuki Sanada informed him, "you didn't exist in the world where we had to fight the first time. That's why Zinv exists."

Kazuki shivered. "Yeah, but I'm never going to get used to it."

"It may not make sense, but one month in the future may be the clearest answer we may ever get," Ms. Hayase admitted. "I'm curious myself as to whether anyone else will experience any delays in transport; or whether it's possible for anyone to arrive early."

Mrs. Nanjyoin said firmly, "I believe I'll just use my signaler; I have to be certain of getting back to Commander Sanada and telling him of your arrival. I'm sure he'll want to make preparations."

"If you must, grandmother," Yayoi agreed.

The other Mrs. Nanjyoin stepped forward, and the two Mrs. Nanjyoins nodded at each other.

"We'll see you there!" Kazuki and Mitsuki Sanada told her. She bowed to everyone and pressed the button, transporting away.

* * *

Some distance away, Dr. Rara dashed forward a few steps. "Mitsuki, did you see that! It was incredible! An actual personal transport!"

"Yes, I saw it. Now Father, remember; Mother can't find out about any of this," Mitsuki Rara stressed.

"Don't worry, dear," Dr. Rara assured her, "I'm not going to tell her. I'm not going through the humiliation of being demoted by my own wife again."

Dr. Sanada couldn't resist getting a few barbs in. "Although I thought it was a cute outfit she made you wear when she took over. She made it for you, didn't she?"

"Stupid Sanada," Dr. Rara muttered. "Maybe I should just cut off all your grant money."

"You'd stop funding the greatest contender for the Nobel Prize?" Dr. Sanada inquired sarcastically.

"Doctors!" Ms. Hayase called to them from outside Zinv's hangar. "The transporters are ready!"

Dr. Rara turned to his daughter and they hugged. "Goodbye," Dr. Rara choked out.

Dr. Sanada looked at his daughter. "Goodbye, Mitsuki," he told her.

"Goodbye, Father," she told him seriously.

Mitsuki Sanada and Akane hugged each other tightly for a moment, then let go. Dee smiled weakly and said with a quaver, "Be sure to give Kumu plenty of food and water."

"We will, Dee," Akane told her. She and Dr. Sanada then hugged Dee tightly as Dee made a squeaky sigh of sadness.

Mrs. Nanjyoin and Yayoi bowed to each other; between them, that gesture said it all.

They proceeded outside, to where the wide-area mobile dimensional transporters had been set up. Kazuki powered up Zinv, causing a flash of light, and followed them. Kazuki, in Zinv, stood slightly behind the others going to the parallel world: Mitsuki Sanada, Mitsuki Rara, her bodyguard trio, Yayoi, Dee, and Ms. Hayase.

"Farewell, Kazuki," Mrs. Nanjyoin wished him. "And Zinv as well."

"Take care, Kazuki," Akane called out.

"Don't break my strength-measuring device again!" Dr. Sanada told him.

"Be sure to give me a real walloping!" Dr. Rara called to Kazuki.

"Goodbye, everyone!" Kazuki's voice broadcast. Zinv's eye glowed red, and his arm waved farewell.

"Everything's ready, Doctors," one of the researchers told Dr. Rara and Dr. Sanada. "We've used the new computers and software to ensure they'll arrive at the destination you specified."

"Here we go again," sniffed Dr. Sanada.

The massive levers were flipped, and the mobile units created a huge white bubble around the group. They were surrounded by a column of yellow energy that hazed the air. The group was dissolved and disappeared.

* * *

In the other world, they appeared on the practice field of the Earth Defense Force base, just as planned. Ms. Hayase looked about her. Except for Zinv and Kazuki, everyone was here.

Mitsuki Sanada crossed her arms and commented, "I knew it'd take forever for that slowpoke to get here."

Ms. Hayase said, "I was almost certain at least one more person would arrive earlier or later than the others. I suppose I was just wrong."

"It's just as well," Yayoi decided, "it'd be awkward if we arrived at different times; especially if they were years apart."

Commander Sanada emerged from the base and began to run towards them; the travelers preferred to use a more sedate pace to join him, except for Mitsuki Sanada, who ran to him saying, "Hi, Dad!"

The commander replied, "Hello, uh, um, what's your name again?"

"My name is Mitsuki, Dad!" she laughed at him.

"Welcome to all of you, whatever your names may be," Cmdr. Sanada told them all. "I guess most of us have already met. I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to use the quarters in the artifact warship for the time being; I wanted everyone to get used to them in case we had to retreat. Now that you're here, though, maybe we can destroy the RaRa Army and its Hink!"

Dee gently corrected, "Its name is Himc, Dad." She and the others shifted uncomfortably.

"What?" Cmdr. Sanada asked.

"Sir, while we will do our best," Yayoi explained, "without Zinv and Kazuki, it's nearly impossible to destroy Himc."

"Oh." The commander looked deflated.

Ms. Hayase hastened to reassure him, "Zinv should arrive here in a month."

"We're very used to all of this; it's going to turn out all right," Mitsuki Rara added.

Dee put a finger to her chin. "Commander, there's another one of me and Yayoi, isn't there?"

Commander Sanada leaned back a moment, then stood normally again. "Yes, that's right. I guess I should go introduce yourselves. Please, everyone, come in." They followed him back inside the Earth Defense Force base.

Mitsuki Sanada looked behind them, where Zinv should've been standing. "It's going to be hard waiting a whole month for that slowpoke."


	37. Advent Ch 6

Chapter 6

Inspector Yamano and Mrs. Nanjyoin met the dimensional travelers as they entered the Earth Defense Force base.

"Hi, Mom!" Dee called to Inspector Yamano before she remembered that this was not her mother.

"This may take some getting used to," Cmdr. Sanada said and put his hand behind his head as Inspector Yamano's eyes grew wide.

Ryla shrugged. "Don't worry about us, we're already used to it. We ought to get the galley set up; it's almost lunchtime."

"Do you need anyone to show you around?" Mrs. Nanjyoin asked.

Mitsuki Rara shook her head, "Thank you, but we know our way around the base and the artifact ship. We'll use the galley in the ship and lunch should be ready in an hour and a half."

"I hadn't expected such fine dining during our retreat," Cmdr. Sanada commented, "I thought we'd all have to break into my precious stash of instant ramen."

Before Mitsuki and her bodyguard trio could leave the room, Lt. Yayoi Schwael and D entered. D and Lt. Schwael were completely still for a moment.

"Commander," Inspector Yamano looked at him, "you did remember to tell them that they'd be meeting duplicates of themselves."

He laughed nervously.

"I only told him a few minutes ago," Mrs. Nanjyoin interceded.

Cmdr. Sanada moved towards the exit, "I have a lot of business to catch up on, so I'll leave you all to get acquainted with yourselves."

Yayoi addressed the thought that she was fairly sure was in her counterpart's head. "I will use a lower officer's jacket and rank so as not to confuse the command structure with my counterpart. As a pilot, I ought to work beneath her."

"There's no reason to worry," Mitsuki Sanada informed them all, "we're all used to everything here."

"If we don't go now, lunch will be late," Mena spoke up.

"Okay, you're dismissed!" Cmdr. Sanada made a production out of it. Mitsuki Rara and her bodyguard trio left for the galley. Cmdr. Sanada then said, "Seriously, I'm glad you're all being so accommodating about all of this. Mrs. Nanjyoin said something like you've lived through all of this before; just please, try to keep in mind that we haven't."

"Okay, Dad," Mitsuki Sanada agreed pleasantly, then remembered and added, "Sorry, Commander."

"Uh, yeah. Bye!" The commander ran off.

Ms. Hayase looked around. "I'm new to my role as a combat pilot. I'm more used to doing scientific work around the base."

Lt. Schwael invited, "Then please accompany me. I'd like to see all of your abilities first-hand."

D had walked up to her counterpart, and for a moment her unearthly eye flashed. Abruptly, she declared, "You are not me." This elicited a gasp from Inspector Yamano, and surprise from Mrs. Nanjyoin and Lt. Schwael.

Dee smiled. "Yes I am. I'm different now, but I'm the same too!" She laughed slightly as D stared at her expressionlessly.

Inspector Yamano and Mrs. Nanjyoin excused themselves, and went to complete their other duties, while the others went to the simulation room. Mitsuki Sanada, Dee, D, and Ms. Hayase climbed into Core Robot simulators, while Lt. Schwael asked Yayoi to hang back for a moment. She spoke in a low voice to her counterpart.

"You can pilot a robot."

Yayoi nodded. "I know how you must feel."

Lt. Schwael smiled, "Of course you do. Please don't worry about me; any sadness I may feel seeing myself pilot a robot will be offset by the joy I feel seeing myself do it."

Yayoi nodded again as Lt. Schwael looked at how the simulation was going. "They're all very good," Lt. Schwael commented with surprise. "How did all of these top-notch pilots emerge in your universe and not in ours?"

Yayoi was able to fill in her counterpart efficiently, since she knew how best to present the information to herself. She concluded, "Ms. Hayase has never fought in a battle, but she should perform well."

"Excellent," Lt. Schwael was pleased. "I'd like to get you and Ms. Rara in the simulators sometime with everyone. I suppose her bodyguards would be prepared to act as relief pilots."

"They should be amenable to that arrangement," Yayoi agreed. The attention of herself and her duplicate was attracted to a screen which had changed to show a broadcast over Darling Wave. The broadcast began with the RaRa Army logo, and they knew instantly it was a trailer.

"Foolish members of the human race who oppose our wondrous Mr. Rara!" Ms. Rah was telling them. "Your base of operations shall soon fall before our mighty armies! At precisely 3 PM in two days's time, the RaRa Army will finally win over the enemies of the world and be able to serve everyone!"

They tuned out the rest of the trailer.

* * *

Later that day, Cmdr. Sanada met with all of the dimensional transferees and his remaining pilots.

"I'd like to begin this briefing on a very serious note," he began sternly. "We simply can't have people taking unlimited seconds at lunch. The line today was nearly an hour long, and we're going to eat up all the vital supplies of food we may need later on."

He paused a moment to stress the seriousness of the situation, then continued, "On a minor note, our base is being threatened by the army of evil. Also, there are duplicates and miscellaneous people from a different universe who will be piloting some of the robots."

"Commander, you're forgetting what's important here!" hissed Inspector Yamano from the side.

"Ah, the U.N. Inspector here has reminded me; we now have people from a parallel world doing the cooking too. Maybe that's why it tastes so good. I'll start researching that."

As Inspector Yamano put her head in her hands, Mitsuki Sanada raised her hand. "Commander, can you please tell us who's piloting what robot? It's getting hard to keep eight of them straight."

"I'm glad you asked," Commander Sanada pointed around the room as he spoke. "Units 1 through 3 will be piloted by their previous pilots, while Units 4 through 8 will be piloted by the anomalies from another world. So, I've got the other Dee in Unit 4, Ms. Kaoru Hayase in Unit 5. Then Ms., er, Sanada" he tried to ignore the whispers that ran around the room, "is in Unit 6, the other Yayoi in Unit 7, and Ms., uhhhh, um," -this was awkward, to have someone with the enemy's name as a pilot- "and Mitsuki is in Unit 8."

"The battles are going to be harder to follow," Mena thought aloud.

"I'm going to forget who to root for!" Alice complained.

"We're all on the same side," Mitsuki Rara observed.

Cmdr. Sanada offered, "Okay, I'll make it simpler. Dee's in the green one. Ms. Hayase's in the black one. Ms. Sanada is in the purple one, Yayoi, the other Yayoi that is, is in a yellow robot, and the other Mitsuki is in the pink unit."

"So the other Lt. Schwael is in the green one?" the pilot of Unit 2 asked.

"No, I'm the green one," Dee insisted.

"I don't know why everyone's so confused. I'm sure that Ms. Mitsuki ended up in the white one," Alice commented.

Mitsuki Sanada grunted, "None of us are in Unit 1! Your Mitsuki is in Unit 8, I'm in Unit 6, and the previous pilot is in Unit 1, just like Dad said!"

"He's your dad?" someone asked behind them, and the whole room began to giggle.

"Uh, right, dismissed," Cmdr. Sanada said hurriedly. At least they weren't likely to figure out who Mitsuki Rara's father was, he thought to himself.

Most of the pilots filed out of the room, but Lt. Schwael and her double approached the commander. "Commander, my counterpart has given me disturbing information. Very soon, we'll be branded outlaws by the United Nations."

Inspector Yamano turned deathly pale.

"Thanks for the tip; they probably wouldn't tell the inspector," Cmdr. Sanada mused. "Wow. I'll be a renegade, a bandit, a brigadier!" His jokes lacked their usual lightness; this was a stunning revelation.

"Perhaps that isn't going to happen in this universe," Inspector Yamano said weakly. "I can't believe those in authority would really retreat in this fashion." She took a deep breath. "They must know something I don't."

"Perhaps I shouldn't have mentioned it," Lt. Schwael withdrew a step. "There is nothing we can do about it in any case."

"No, I appreciate both of you telling us this," Cmdr. Sanada insisted. Yayoi agreed, "This really shook up everyone when it happened unexpectedly. I hoped that we might be better prepared to work our hardest when we know the sacrifices we must make."

Inspector Yamano sat down. "They're the ones in charge, and I'll have to do what they say. I'll have to leave the Earth Defense Force and go to another post in the U.N. I'll have to join the whole organization in telling the world that the RaRa Army is right and good. I don't know why, but I'll have to do it; they are in command."

Both the Yayois felt that the inspector needed privacy. They silently filed out of the room, making sure to close the door quietly. Cmdr. Sanada nevertheless started at the noise, and realized it was because he was expecting that the next noise would be inspector saying something. She was still sitting there, with the same stricken expression on her face. The commander wondered to himself why Akane's choice mattered so much to him.

Her eyes were haunted. "I'll have to think about it, though; why they did change their minds. There hasn't really been any change in the basic situation since Rara first declared his ambitions to rule the world. Are those in command really telling me that his ambitions are correct?" Then steel came into her voice. "No."

She stood up. "Nothing has changed. The basic facts are still the same, and Rara is still in the wrong. I'll resign my commission before I agree that the world should be turned over to that ugly old man!"

"Thanks, Akane," Cmdr. Sanada said, heartened by this display of courage.

* * *

That courage was required as the crack forces of the RaRa Army descended upon the base of the Earth Defense Force two days later. Around the base, the land was largely level and there were few tall buildings. There would be little or no cover for either side.

The eight Core Robots stood in a line before their base, pointing the muzzles of their grenade launchers towards the foe. Each pilot in the Earth Defense Force piloted their robot from a heavily armored cockpit in the torso. The RaRa jewel-cannon robots, however, were controlled by three people per robot, operating from the main RaRa base on the faux island. There was only one RaRa robot piloted directly; the giant, golden-sheathed Himc, piloted now by Kent Slade.

"Complete our conquest! Destroy all who oppose the glorious Mr. Rara!" commanded Ms. Rah, standing upon the closest vantage point that combined both a good view and a dramatic height.

"Affirmative, Commander," Slade affirmed. The thirty RaRa jewel cannon robots moved forward in a box, and Himc moved behind them. They crossed the boundary of Earth Defense Territory at precisely 3 PM. They proceeded forward doggedly.

"If everything goes wrong, stick to the plan," Cmdr. Sanada ordered.

The Core Robots waited for the enemy to come into range of their grenade launchers. The RaRa Army moved ahead in a large box, just as it had when attacking the base in the other universe. The Earth Defense Force noted a small flicker of light before Himc for only a moment before the light formed into a bullet, barreled toward them, and impacted squarely on the ground in the middle of the line of Core Robots.

The explosion knocked back Unit 2, which had been in the middle, and it fell to the ground missing its right leg. The other robots were moved aside by the explosion, splitting the line in half. Ms. Rah was ordering loudly and gesturing, and in a moment the RaRa formation had changed. Himc was still at the rear, but now the jewel-cannon robots had formed two triangles on either side of it and were running ahead at their top speed. They hoped to drive a wedge between the Core Robots, then have each triangle turn and launch a devastating attack upon the Core Robots. If the Earth Defense Force was divided, it would be conquered.

"Regroup, all Core Units regroup!" Lt. Schwael ordered urgently.

"Ms. Hayase, follow me!" Mitsuki Sanada told Unit 5. She and the otherworlders had, within seconds, rejoined the other Core Robots to one side. Now, with Ms. Hayase and Unit 1 joining them, the Core Robots were regrouped. If only a few more seconds had passed, the jewel-cannons would successfully have divided them.

"We must take the fight to them," Yayoi voiced from Unit 7, and the others, from long association with her, knew exactly what to do. The Earth Defense Force now charged forward themselves and began to fire. Their charge brought them into range, and the jewel-cannons began to fall in swathes of grenade explosions.

Reacting to this, Slade fired his high-energy bullet rapidly just as he had at the start of the battle. He wished he could do more, but the disadvantage of this battle plan was that his other weapons would not come in range of the front lines for a little while longer. For now, these high-energy bullets were his only means of attack, and he intended to use them as best as possible.

The bullet directly impacted none of the Core Robots; they had just begun to dodge in response to return fire from the jewel-cannons. The shock of the bullet did hinder effective dodging by the Core Robots. Yayoi and Unit 1, unable to complete their planned dodges, instead stumbled back awkwardly and away from the blast.

* * *

Deep within the RaRa base, the bodyguard trio, piloting one of the jewel-cannon robots, noticed the vulnerability and attacked Unit 1, bringing it down.

* * *

Inside the Earth Defense Force base, the bodyguard trio from the other universe was frustrated by what they were now seeing. Unit 7 was brought down before their eyes, and they fumed. Yayoi commented mildly, "At least that didn't backwash me."

Mitsuki Sanada shook her head. "It's not supposed to be able to do that! That stupid thing always has to charge its blasts before releasing them, it can't just keep firing them out without our having time to see it!"

Cmdr. Sanada communicated to everyone from inside the base, "The pilot tends to charge it for a very short time; we don't see its true destructive potential."

* * *

Kaoru Hayase charged forward a moment, then suddenly skipped back as the jewel-cannons fired upon the spot where she should've been. In the meantime, she fired upon them and destroyed them. Ms. Hayase was damaged and thrown to the ground by a nearby high-energy bullet, but converted this into a roll and stood again, ready to take on more foes. Himc's beam sliced off all of Unit 5's limbs in two strokes. The Life Sympathy with Unit 5 made Ms. Hayase scream a moment, but fortunately the pain was soon over as the robot shut down, its systems extremely damaged.

"Are you all right?" Mitsuki Rara asked in concern. Ms. Hayase was only able to breathe heavily in reply. Yayoi checked Ms. Hayase's readouts from the cockpit of her own downed robot, and said calmingly, "You're all right, Ms. Hayase. You're not even backwashed. You've made me proud."

"That was awesome for your first time!" Dee enthused. "It was wonderful!" Mitsuki Rara added.

"Yeah, it was," Mitsuki Sanada agreed. "Dee, could you give me a hand over here?" She was close to being cornered by several RaRa units despite her steady fire.

Both versions of D moved towards her, attacking foes on the way, so Mitsuki was twice as covered as she had hoped. "Thanks," she commented, and continued her assault.

Slade noticed that one robot, the pink one, was acting in a familiar manner. Much of the time it preferred to stand and fire its grenade launcher repeatedly, like the purple robot. Occasionally, however, it would simultaneously jump to the side and shoot, as the blue and green robots were prone to doing. All this reminded Slade increasingly of Mitsuki Rara. The robot was out of his range for the moment, so he concentrated on the closer enemies.

* * *

The bodyguard trio, relaxing in the RaRa base, also noted this behavior. "That robot's moving kinda like Mitsuki," Alice noted.

"It's also acting like the others," Mena offered.

Ryla spoke, "To get back on subject, Mena still hasn't told us: which fish do you think looks the silliest?"

"Say clownfish!" Alice insisted.

"Clownfish are pretty; blowfish look silliest when they're all blown up," Mena said.

* * *

Ayuko frowned at the screen on the RaRa war room base. "Their confidence has been renewed. We weren't expecting them to be able to take out so many of the jewel-cannon robots."

Pres. Rara shook his head. "No, we weren't, but it'll be a major victory for us nonetheless. Sanada can flee to other territories, and by other means, but losing a home base is always a great defeat."

"Of course, dear," Ayuko put her fingers to her cheek.

* * *

D observed the battlefield. Only four of the Core Robots remained standing, including her own, and only seven RaRa robots, including Himc, could continue the fight. D jumped through the air as she and her counterpart fired upon the jewel-cannon robots.

Himc's beam was within range and Slade fired it towards the green robot.

"I'm not afraid of you!" Dee declared as she narrowly dodged the beam.

* * *

Lt. Schwael reported, "We await your command, sir."

"Launch now!" Commander Sanada ordered.

* * *

The ground slowly opened up near the side of the Earth Defense Force base, but once open, in a matter of moments, the Earth Defense Force's artifact carrier emerged. Immediately it streaked towards the ocean.

Slade exclaimed "What!" in surprise.

Pres. Rara grimaced at his war room screen. "Ms. Rah, ignore that vessel. It's going to be outside the combat zone soon enough." He growled to himself, "Well, at least we got his main base. Stupid Sanada!"

"That's entirely irrelevant now, dear," Ayuko pointed out.

Pres. Rara grumbled, "I suppose so," and glared at the main screen: a glare directed towards stupid Sanada. He and his wife could see now exactly what Sanada's plan for keeping his army intact was. Sanada had meant to damage the RaRa Army forces as much as possible, then flee and use that ship as his base of operations. The Raras and Sanada both knew its capabilities because they had excavated it together. It was mobile and fast in the air and under the water; it would be difficult to track it down. The vessel could also launch giant robots for attacks, so Sanada had managed to preserve his fighting strength.

* * *

Lt. Schwael was very grateful that they had completed all the major preparations, such as loading spare parts and personal belongings onto the warship, on the previous evening. It helped to know that the people from the parallel universe had been through these trials before. She observed Cmdr. Sanada as he completed the plan by sending his callsign, surrendering to the Raras his land base, and in exchange gaining the right to keep the Earth Defense Force pilots' lives and robots. The commander laughed maniacally.

Inspector Yamano, standing beside him on the bridge of the warship, huffed, "Commander, we just handed over to the enemy our base and the dig site from which all the artifacts originated. The occasion does not strike me as humorous."

Commander Sanada turned his beaming face upon her. "Look on the bright side, Inspector- imagine his face as he sees what we've done!"

From her position on the bridge, Lt. Schwael arranged for the Core Robot transport planes, now stationed in the artifact ship, to retrieve the Core Robots.

* * *

Kumu, deep within the depths of the RaRa Army base, pondered the situation with grim triumph. The enemy had not been beaten as well as she wished. Kumu was glad she had the foresight to influence a decision. It had been brooding for months, and now was going to be released on worldwide television in a few seconds.

* * *

"I think we'll want to watch this, dear," Ayuko said, bringing up a small subscreen on the main screen. Glancing quizzically at his wife, Pres. Rara elected to have it fill the entire screen and watched the beginning of a press conference.

"The world has been sorely threatened recently," a high official was saying, "by the warmongering tactics of a few people, who have highjacked the international political system in order to force their views upon the populace of our world."

Pres. Rara bristled, "How dare those people speak about me in that way! I'm trying to prevent the world war that would surely erupt if every country on earth fought for the power of the artifacts!"

"They don't mean you, dear. Keep watching," Ayuko encouraged him.

The high official continued, "The Earth Defense Force is today the greatest hurdle we must overcome in order to realize world peace. On this, all the nations of the world are agreed, and in concert, we have come to the agreement which will now be presented to you by the secretary-general of the United Nations."

There was applause as the secretary-general of the United Nations entered the room.

* * *

Mrs. Nanjyoin received a buzz on her cellphone and answered it. She listened a moment, then said to the commander, "The prediction has come true, commander. Please tune an antenna to a television broadcast."

Commander Sanada placed the television feed on the titanic main monitor of the artifact vessel, and heard the middle of the secretary-general's speech.

* * *

Pres. Rara had been stunned for a moment, then laughed in delight, and now listened in unbelieving rapture as the secretary-general made remarks similar to those of the high official and got to the decision of the world around the middle of his speech.

"The Earth Defense Force is a threat to us all, and so we must all face it squarely. The United Nations hereby declares the Earth Defense Force to be an outlaw organization."

The press conference room burst into raucous applause.

* * *

Inspector Yamano's hands clenched into fists, and she glared at the screen. Cmdr. Sanada laced his fingers under his chin.

"Our countries alone cannot defend ourselves against the titans of the outlaws." the secretary-general continued. "We must enlist the help of others. I hereby resign my position as secretary-general of the United Nations, and respectfully request that Pres. Hiroshi Rara of the RaRa Army lead in my wake. I announce of the creation the Science and Technology Guidance Committee, to be composed of the leaders of the United Nations, and ask that Pres. Rara become its Chairman."

There was a sudden standing ovation in the press conference room. Across the globe, wave after wave of world leaders, high officials, businessmen, reporters, and common people sighed in relief as they saw the threat to their daily peace of mind vanish.

* * *

"This is something to be happy about, I think," Ryla commented lazily as she and the bodyguard trio lounged in the remote piloting area of the RaRa base. The feed had been piped through to the area.

"Probably," commented Mena. "I can't believe they're broadcasting this instead of the softball game, though."

"I wonder what Mitsuki's making for dinner," Alice wondered.

* * *

In the kitchen of the artifact warship, the counterparts of the bodyguard trio had turned off the intercom so they wouldn't have to hear the broadcast of the press conference. "I couldn't bear to hear that again," Mena explained.

Ryla nodded and said, "To take your mind off it, could you please find the knife sharpener for me?"

"I wonder what Mitsuki's making for dinner," Alice wondered.

* * *

Dee was loading the pieces of Ms. Hayase's Core Robot onto a transport plane while listening to the broadcast which the commander was piping through to them. "I remember this part," she remarked cheerfully, continuing, "Don't worry, it'll get happier soon." The last parts were loaded, and she moved her robot into position on a plane, which winged towards the artifact carrier. When every piece of the Core Robots and every transport plane was aboard, the carrier began to move further out to sea.

* * *

The secretary-general of the United Nations was now saying, "The United Nations thanks you all for your support. There are, of course, many other important issues on the global scene-"

The television cut to a news anchor at a desk. "That was the secretary-general, now former secretary-general, of the United Nations announcing his retirement and the RaRa Army taking his position," the anchor announced brightly. "In other news, is this actress planning a breakup with her two-week millionaire boyfriend? And hear what does this pop star have to say about it? We'll have more after this break."

Inspector Yamano angrily turned off the feed.

"I wanted to watch that," complained Cmdr. Sanada. Inspector Yamano wheeled on him. "Just kidding," he grinned.

* * *

Kent Slade looked towards the ocean, where he could see the artifact carrier hovering above the waves and sliding noiselessly away, like a small white cloud. The war had not yet ended, though he was still confident it would do so in his favor. 


	38. Advent Ch 7

Chapter 7:

The phone rang and rang on Inspector Yamano's desk in the abandoned Earth Defense Base. The answering machine broadcast its message to an empty room: "You have reached United Nations Inspector Akane Yamano. Please leave a message." There was a beep, and then the caller's shrill and piercing laughter was recorded by the machine and broadcast to the empty room. "Oh, my. Nobody's home. Guess you won't be coming back for a while, either! Hope you're enjoying your exile!" gloated Ms. Gwenyth Plath. "Oops, maybe I shouldn't be talking to you. I'm consorting with a criminal!" she shrieked and cackled, "You crushed my car, and now the law is finally on my side!" With that she hung up the phone, laughing again.

* * *

Kent Slade was stalking the corridors of the RaRa Army base again, absently drumming his fingers along the wall. It was in this state that Mitsuki Rara found him, and asked, "What are you thinking about?" 

He smiled at her a moment before replying, "You and not you." He grinned as he let that hang in the air a moment, then elaborated, "It was the weirdest thing. In that last battle, there was this one robot that seemed to remind me of you. You know, how you stand 52 feet tall, and-" he chuckled at his own lame joke, and his fingers tapped against the wall some more. "To get right to the point," he continued, "it moved just as though you were piloting it."

"How would you know that?" Mitsuki Rara asked perplexedly. "The only times I've ever piloted an enemy robot are when I'm practicing as the enemy in the simulations."

"That's all I've got to go on," admitted Kent. "It was an eerie, feeling, though. Not just that; I recognized some of the moves you pulled in the simulators too."

"You can make your mind easy; it couldn't possibly have been me," she assured him with a small chuckle. "I was, or rather Ms. Rah, was your commanding officer, standing on top of that building."

Kent told her, "That's what I realized just now; of course it's impossible for you to be the pilot. There is, however, nothing to hinder the pilot from being a counterpart of you. A duplicate of you from another universe."

Her eyes grew wide as she asked, "They couldn't possibly have gotten into your universe, could they? I thought only people from your world could do that."

Kent replied, "So maybe they came here; I don't know." He suspected this prospect was alarming his fiancee out of proportion to its likelihood. Therefore, he joked, "There's no need to be jealous of your duplicate, Mitsuki. I'll stick with you."

The idea was so unexpected that she laughed. "Thank you," she said.

Her bodyguards walked up the hallway towards them. "I'm disappointed," Mena told them when they were reached, "the good pilots have only appeared right as the war is closing!"

"I recall all of you having a long-running fight with the blue robot," Mitsuki Rara reminded them.

"The blue robot has always been good," Ryla acknowledged, "but only now have the pilots of the other robots really been doing their best."

"Yeah!" Alice agreed, "they were all leaping and jumping and pow-pow-pow! But we toasted those giant robots! In their composite steel faces!" she shouted, causing Kent to burst with laughter and knock on the wall with his fist.

"You disagree?" Mitsuki Rara asked.

"No, I think they're all very correct," Kent said once his diaphragm had returned to normal, "but I disagree with their disappointment that the good pilots are only coming now. I'd prefer it if the good pilots never showed up. I suppose it's not really honorable, but I'd prefer it if the fights were as easy as taking candy from a baby."

"It's always like that for you," Ryla pointed out, rancorless.

"Too true. Life is quite unfair. We ought to get someone who's actually competent to pilot Himc for a change," Kent faux lamented.

"You're the best we've got," Alice offered carelessly.

"Right; you're stuck with me!" chuckled Kent.

A sudden thought occurred to Mena: "The enemy probably won't be fighting too much now that they're on the run, right, Mitsuki?"

Mitsuki Rara, surprised, cautiously agreed. The bodyguard trio cheered. "Free time!" Alice cried.

* * *

Little more than a week after that, the Earth Defense Force carrier remained submerged beneath the ocean on fairly quiet running. Commander Sanada asked, "So, are you all sure that Kazuki hasn't come yet?" 

"Dad," Mitsuki Sanada was irritated, "we've told you again and again that he's not going to be here for about three weeks. He's predictably late; he can't be here yet."

"It seems like an awfully long time," sighed Dee.

"Far too long," Mitsuki Rara sighed as well.

Mitsuki Sanada fidgeted. "Oh, I guess so," she reluctantly allowed.

Lt. Schwael suggested, "Perhaps we ought to take the initiative now when the enemy is least expecting it."

Yayoi agreed, "That would keep us motivated over the long wait."

Akane Yamano, not entirely sure what rank to give herself now that she was no longer a United Nations Inspector, objected. "If we were only facing ordinary RaRa robots that might be a viable option. Facing Himc in battle would be useless."

Mitsuki Rara considered aloud, "We didn't have to deal with that in our world. It's going to be a lot harder with it around. Himc is still not everywhere. If we can attack at a place where it is not, then we'll be able to deliver a blow without risking too much."

Yayoi concurred. "It should be relatively easy to outflank Himc. As long as we manage to make the RaRa Army think we're still here, they'll probably keep Himc here. Then we can attack elsewhere."

Commander Sanada looked interested but unconvinced. "Yeah, but any attack is still a big risk in our current situation. I'd prefer to do something more spectacular than a nuisance raid."

Mrs. Nanjyoin entered the room. Bowing to everyone, she waited for Commander Sanada to say, "Yes?"

"Commander, this television report indicates that the Raras will be on the move in the next few days. They're currently in New York and are heading to Europe."

Mrs. Nanjyoin had gotten the bodyguard trio to carry a relatively portable television set, where an anchor was telling them, "After being installed as chairman of the United Nations at its headquarters, Chairman Rara announced that he and his wife will make a state visit to Europe. Security is tight; they have announced only plans to visit nations such as France..."

The anchor continued talking, but Mitsuki Sanada looked sharply at Mitsuki Rara and asked, "The old lady would do it again in this universe, wouldn't she?"

Mitsuki Rara smiled. "She wouldn't be able to resist."

Dee leapt up and asked, "Can I please go get Ms. Hayase! Please?"

"Sure! Why not!" Cmdr. Sanada was somewhat baffled but waved his arm, and Dee ran to the laboratory.

Yayoi explained to the others, "We have a very good idea of where at least one of the Raras is going to be within a week. May I recommend we move the vessel within striking distance of Paris?"

Commander Sanada's eyes grew wide. "You can't possibly be contemplating attacking Paris?"

Lt. Schwael considered, "There is a RaRa military base in that area. With it captured, we could control the territory and airspace, thus allowing us to capture them or restrict their movements."

Dee finally returned with Ms. Hayase, who reported that while the two worlds were certainly going to collide, they would not be in serious danger for some weeks. The others then filled her in on the plan, but Ryla frowned and said, "The attack didn't work that well the last time, and we had Zinv then."

Mitsuki Sanada crossed her arms. Yayoi pointed out, "Still, the attack did eliminate the RaRa forces in the vicinity. Our objective is to strike effectively; Ayuko is simply a target of opportunity."

"Huh, I kinda like being a bandit king. Let's do it!" cried Cmdr. Sanada.

* * *

It was nearly a week and a half after that when Ayuko Rara finally got her chance to set foot inside the swank Parisian store and shop to her heart's content. Several world leaders were following her around, insisting that she try on expensive fabrics and jewels, and Ayuko never refused. A television crew followed them about the store. On the nearby streets, the honor guard of jewel-cannons stood watch.

* * *

Elsewhere in the city, Chairman Rara was hobnobbing with other world leaders when his retinue informed him there was a signal matching those used on the old hotline between the Earth Defense Force and the RaRa Army, and hustled him into his car. Once there, he was equipped with a tablet personal computer and communications getup. On the tablet, the smiling face of Cmdr. Sanada took form. 

"Are you ready to give up yet?" Chairman Rara gruffly asked.

"No, do you feel like giving up?" Cmdr. Sanada asked in return.

Chairman Rara thought quickly. The car was now moving rapidly away, as he had instructed, but the signal was still being received fairly well: Sanada and his ship had to be close. "You really should be the one surrendering. Stupid Sanada, you can't take on the whole world."

Cmdr. Sanada's grin only grew wider. "I thought I'd just take on the part of it that you're in." He began to wave his right arm wildly and deepened his voice, "At precisely 11:50 A.M., the Earth Defense Force will take the field against all the foolish mortals who oppose them! We advise all those who support the future of the planet to leave the RaRa base near Paris!"

The chairman gasped. "Ten minutes! Sanada, you can't give only ten minutes warning!"

The commander returned to his regular voice. "Idiot, it's your own military base. Haven't you been drilling those people to move fast? There won't be any civilians to hurt, and the only things you need have topside are giant robots. You don't need any more warning time."

"What you really want is to capture me!" Chairman Rara yelled at the tablet.

"It would be nice, and I'd say we have a fair chance of doing it," Cmdr. Sanada laughed maniacally. "Care to surrender now?"

Rara cut the connection instead and began giving orders to his subordinates in the car. "Get the military forces at the base warmed up and on full alert. Tell Ayuko to get out of the store right now."

* * *

The message was relayed, and Ayuko frowned but went towards the roof, where the transport helicopter was just beginning to spin up its blades. She hated leaving the merchandise behind but would hate giving the nearly defeated Earth Defense Force any advantage even more.

* * *

Chairman Rara asked, "How long until we reach our aircraft?" 

One of his men replied, "Sir, I'm afraid it's already too late for that. They came in below radar, but human spotters on the ground have confirmed four Earth Defense Force robot transport planes coming from the north, headed south." Another one ended a cellphone conversation and reported, "We've just confirmed four more. They're going to put four robots north of our base and four to its south. Our airspace is effectively controlled by the transport planes."

"Tell Ayuko's helicopter pilot not to launch yet but keep the blades running," the chairman ordered. "I also don't want any of her guard robots running off to join the fight."

He turned to one of the officials at his side. "Where's my daughter right now?"

The man answered immediately, "Sir, she's been moved out of the hotel to the safe house. Ms. Rah, however, will be unavailable for some time. As you recall, that luggage was lost on the flight out of New York. We need several more minutes to give her the recovered costume."

Chairman Rara noticed he was receiving another communication on his tablet. He took it and saw the officer in charge of the base near Paris. "Sir," the officer began without preamble, "we're having difficulty getting all the units to operational status. The power generators are very complicated, and we're only now installing some of them into the units. They won't be ready in time."

"How many robots are ready?" Chairman Rara asked sternly. "We have our full complement of twenty jewel-cannon robots topside and ready for battle, sir," the officer replied immediately. "Do your best with what you've got," the chairman ordered. "Yes, sir," the officer saluted, and they ended the call.

His car finally reached the landing strip that was their destination. Chairman Rara and his officials hurried aboard a waiting plane, but they could not launch as long as the enemy controlled the airspace.

* * *

Commander Sanada watched with pleasure from the bridge of the artifact carrier as Lieutenant Schwael ordered, "Execute banking and strike." 

The twenty jewel-cannons on the RaRa base stood upon the base's practice field, a large concrete plain. They stood in a loose box, one half looking towards the north and the other towards the south. Jewel-cannons didn't have their weapons positioned properly or with adequate range to shoot down aircraft, but they were prepared to face the Core Robots when they arrived from those directions. The planes soon appeared, flying low. The pilots of the jewel-cannons, hunkered in the Parisian base's own remote-control piloting bunker, readied themselves for the assault.

The transport planes then carried out the banking maneuver. Two of the planes bearing Core Robots from each direction, north and south, stayed on course and began to fire their Vulcan cannon on the jewel-cannons. The other planes suddenly turned to the side. The planes were all in their proper positions seconds later, and each released their Core Robot. The effect of the banking maneuver was to drop Core Robots on all four sides of the box. The cannon attack served to disrupt and surprise the group so the Core Robots could land unopposed.

Adding to the confusion, Ms. Hayase and some of the other pilots fired their grenade launchers as they dropped from the planes. They scored relatively few hits but forced the enemy to scatter further, so they were even less prepared when the Core Robots landed.

* * *

"It's nice to see the RaRa Army on the defensive this time," Yamano enthused.

* * *

The Core Robots all landed facing inward, encircling the box, and carefully fired into its center to avoid friendly fire. The jewel-cannons finally attempted to return fire, and the Core Robots began to dodge.

* * *

Chairman Rara watched with irritation on the tablet as he saw the Core Robots dodging and weaving and smashing this small part of his army to bits. The blue, green, and pink units were jumping about and shooting, the purple unit was blazing away and launched a fierce kick at a unit that happened to get close. The yellow unit sidestepped one beam and scored a direct hit on its attacker. The black robot ran forward in a crouch to duck some fire, then reached an advantageous position and destroyed its attackers. There were only two jewel-cannon robots left, running for their lives.

* * *

"Come on, Rara," Cmdr. Sanada was starting to get nervous, "why haven't you sent a callsign yet?" 

There was no answer as one of the two jewel-cannons was destroyed.

* * *

A subscreen opened on Chairman Rara's tablet, reporting, "Sir! We've managed to install the power generators and the units are closed up again! We should have full power within two minutes! All we need now is a pilot for it." 

Chairman Rara smiled. "Good work. Deploy as soon as we have full power and confirmed pilot life sympathy."

* * *

A large dot appeared on the screen of the Earth Defense Force's screen. "Sir! Registering large power source underground at the RaRa Army base!" an officer reported. 

"Be careful!" Cmdr. Sanada cautioned his forces, "there's something big coming soon!" He turned to his officers. "Can we get any clearer idea of what we're dealing with?"

* * *

Chairman Rara received the report, "Global relay has been established. Pilot Life Sympathy has been confirmed. Our robot is on the elevator to the surface."

* * *

The sensor officers aboard the artifact carrier informed Cmdr. Sanada, "We've resolved it into multiple points moving towards the surface. Life Sympathy confirmed at 64."

* * *

D destroyed the last jewel-cannon robot, and all the Core Robots turned to look to one side of the practice field, where the ground was now opening up. They saw borne out of the earth several small white pods and a giant grey pod. 

"Not one of those again," Mitsuki Sanada grumbled.

"Oh no, not an Isolation Weapon," Commander Sanada breathed.

Chairman Rara laughed maniacally.

Kent Slade said, "Isolation Weapon ready to strike on your mark, Chairman."


	39. Advent Ch 8

Chapter 8

Kent Slade rapidly ran his mind over the situation. He knew that Chairman Rara had made finishing Himc his top priority after Kent had proven able to pilot Himc. Funding had been lessened for the other robots, so the Isolation Weapon he was now piloting had its generators finished only recently, and the people at the base had been feverishly installing them only a few minutes ago. The chairman had kept the Isolation Weapon here, and there were other original robots he had decided to scatter around the globe, in case a situation arose where Himc could not reach the affected area in time. Today's situation proved the value of his planning.

Slade could not recall whether the Isolation Weapon was always piloted remotely or whether pilots could be placed inside it. Slade himself remained on the RaRa island battleship, piloting remotely through a global Darling Wave relay. He had never actually synchronized with its real hardware. The only way Slade had previously piloted the weapon was in simulations, and not too many of them. He was simply the best pilot available on short notice, and so had been called on to pilot the Isolation Weapon. It had no permanent pilot.

He was extremely nervous; he hoped he'd be allowed to attack soon. Sitting around in front of the enemy did not seem to be a good idea.

Chairman Rara told him, "Ms. Rah is still getting ready, so in the interim I'll have to be your battlefield commander. The Isolation Weapon is made to split up your opponents, so be sure to concentrate on that. Attack now!"

"Affirmative, Chairman," Slade acknowledged.

* * *

While they were talking, Commander Sanada was talking to his Core Robots on the field. "You need to pull back immediately!"

Mitsuki Sanada insisted, "Wait a minute, Dad! We've never fought an Isolation Weapon with grenade launchers before, let alone eight of us! This time we might be able to beat it!"

"With its shield strength?" Cmdr. Sanada asked incredulously.

Yayoi pointed out, "We're too close to flee from it in any case. It'd cut us down as we retreated."

Ms. Hayase suggested, "Perhaps we ought to concentrate our fire."

* * *

By this time Kent had received clearance to attack, and had begun to move the Isolation Weapon. It consisted of small, fast white pods, and a lumbering, mammoth gray pod. Upon Slade's command, they lifted themselves off the ground and began to levitate in the air.

Aboard the Earth Defense Force artifact carrier, Lt. Schwael directed, "Fire!" All eight Core Robots shot at one of the small white pods. There was a massive explosion, and Kent Slade yelped. The fragments of the pod fell out of the smoke from the grenades' explosions.

* * *

"What!" yelled Chairman Rara, watching on his tablet computer in a grounded airplane.

* * *

Lt. Schwael pumped her fist as she and her counterpart cried, "Yes!"

* * *

Dee chortled from inside her robot. Mitsuki Rara, from inside her Core Robot, told Ms. Hayase, "That was a good idea."

* * *

Kent Slade drew a deep breath. The destruction of part of the Isolation Weapon had caused him pain through the mysterious nature of Life Sympathy. The other pilots had mentioned that to him, but he had only experienced it before when he briefly piloted an Earth Defense Robot. What he had just felt now was far worse pain, since it was more serious damage. It was a strong incentive not to lose. Slade ordered the small pods to scatter and begin the attack proper.

* * *

Chairman Rara had images of the battle taking up most of his tablet's screen and was grilling the officer in charge of the Parisian base on a subscreen. The chairman noted grimly that subscreens weren't nearly as useful when one didn't have a wallful of screen real estate.

"You're responsible for maintaining the Isolation Weapon," Chairman Rara stated, trying to keep the anger out of his voice. He was trying to make this an objective review of what went wrong and how to prevent it in the future. "I thought we'd determined its shields would hold up against their weapons!"

The officer was nervous but spoke well. "Sir, we may've underestimated the strength of their munitions. It might also be a fault in the power generator. The generator in the subunit that was just destroyed has given us problems over the past few weeks."

* * *

Units 1 and 2 were firing wildly at the fast-moving white pods, which were executing dizzying evasive maneuvers. These pilots were relatively inexperienced. They had not even been pilots for most of this campaign, let alone the war in the other universe which Mitsuki Sanada, Mitsuki Rara, Yayoi, Ms. Hayase, and Dee had been through. The pilots from the other world, as well as the bioroid D, were executing their own evasive maneuvers to decrease the chance that the enemy could hit them.

"Don't waste your ammo," Mitsuki Sanada crossly told the green pilots. Not only were grenades too slow to catch them, she also suspected that a lone round couldn't penetrate their incredibly tough shields. The two pilots ignored her, and when one finally did manage a direct hit, there was a strange sound from the location of the hit. Concentric circles appeared in front of the pod, as though the grenade were just a rock thrown in a pond. These were visible manifestations of the shields. The pod itself was undamaged.

* * *

"That's much better!" Chairman Rara congratulated the officer.

* * *

Commander Sanada shifted glumly in his seat. Himc's shields were strong, but the Isolation Weapon had the strongest known shields of any robot. He frowned as he amended his thought: the strongest shields he knew about.

* * *

Mitsuki Sanada was just reprimanding the pilots, "Why don't you listen? Do you think I-" and then she was cut off as the Isolation Weapon struck. There was a flash from the muzzles of the small pods, and a tinny reverberating sound. Tracers flew out of the muzzles towards the group, and two of the Core Robots were knocked down.

* * *

Lt. Schwael demanded, "Damage report!"

"Minimal damage to Core Robots 1 and 2!" one officer reported. Another agreed, "All units now returning to fight!"

Akane Yamano wheeled on Commander Sanada. "We weren't hurt?"

"It's because of the purpose of the Isolation Weapon," Cmdr. Sanada explained, "its purpose is to divide and conquer. That big gray one there is going to snuff out any robot it can catch alone. The big pod is too slow to destroy anything that can move freely."

Yamano asked, "Why aren't the little pods more effective?"

"They spend too much power on shields and engines, there isn't room for a bigger gun," he told her. "I never thought I'd hear myself say this, but we might be able to take them."

"We are watching the same screen, aren't we?" Yamano asked him skeptically.

Commander Sanada grunted and watched the main screen showing the fight.

* * *

Slade moved his small pods again, fired, and managed to knock more units down. He had even managed to get some hits on the good units. Unfortunately, everyone simply got up after he knocked them down, and no one was yet vulnerable to his main unit's gun. They just moved around too much. He had been able to split their group in half, roughly, but even that was difficult. After the destruction of the first small pod, he only had two small pods left. If there had been only a handful of enemies, he could've gotten them quickly. Eight robots were simply too much for two pods to handle.

From the pink Core Robot, Mitsuki Rara said, "We have to try and get another little pod." She dodged a shot, and said, "Let's all aim at this one!"

"Fire!" Lt. Schwael said, to help them all coordinate.

"Oof!" Dee said as her robot was knocked down by a shot. Ms. Hayase was barely dodging the other pod's attack. Mitsuki Sanada was trying to take evasive maneuvers, but Unit 2 collided with her, and they both fell on the ground. Only four robots were therefore able to shoot the small pod, and Ms. Hayase attacked a second later. A series of concentric circles could be seen through the smoke, and the pod flew on unharmed.

"You tripped me with my robot!" Mitsuki Sanada grumbled at Unit 2.

* * *

Chairman Rara demanded, "Isolate our worthless opponents!"

"Sir!" was all the reply Kent could take the time for. He wanted to say that the mathematics of the situation were against him, but he knew that his future father-in-law could count. There had to be some way he could pull this off. Maybe, Kent thought, he ought to start using the big gun, even though it wasn't very useful against moving targets. Even if it didn't cause any damage, it might distract the enemy enough to give him an advantage of some sort. Injuring or disabling even one unit would give him a serious advantage at this point.

* * *

"We can't let him disable anyone or anything," Cmdr. Sanada muttered. On the lam, their spare pilots and spare parts were perilously low.

"Another pod must be disabled," Yayoi informed the group. "That would give us a significant advantage." As she spoke, she barely dodged another attack, and D was knocked down by the other small pod. Mitsuki Sanada and Unit 2 had finally managed to get up.

Kent watched as the robots refused to remain isolated, constantly darting around. There was no other choice; he fine-tuned the aiming of the main gun.

* * *

"Sir!" one of Chairman Rara's officials barked on the plane. "The rebels' artifact ship is on the move!"

"Where to?" Chairman Rara asked, when he realized suddenly that he could see exactly where it had gone to.

The main guns of the artifact carrier lanced into the gray pod of the Isolation Weapon. Concentric circles blocked the impact of its multiple blue beam weapons.

Chairman Rara gasped and ordered, "Stop piloting robot now!" Even as he spoke, he knew he was too late; the carrier fired again. On his screen flashed the message that had made him gasp: MAIN POWER GENERATORS FAILING: MECHANICAL FLAW.

The main pod of the Isolation Weapon detonated fantastically. Kent Slade screamed at the top of his lungs, his hands involuntarily leaping off the sympathy orbs that linked him to the robot. The two small white pods crashed unceremoniously to the earth.

* * *

"Get on, now!" Commander Sanada ordered his Core Robots. They hurriedly got aboard. Almost before they were stowed away, the carrier began moving, racing for an ocean where it could submerge and lose the pursuit of the entire planet.

* * *

Chairman Rara's plane and Ayuko Rara's helicopter were finally cleared for takeoff, and they started on their journey to more secure locations. Their daughter followed on another flight.

* * *

Slade gasped and stared at the floor. Considering how much pain he had been in a moment ago, it seemed incredible that he felt totally fine now. He was entirely uninjured, surely he could walk a little. He took tentative steps, keeping an arm on the pilot chair for support.

Rara took a moment to ensure the line was as secure as possible, then said, "Slade? Slade, are you all right? Are you conscious?"

"I'm all right sir," Slade told his commander firmly in a hoarse voice.

Medical personnel burst into the room, really just an ordinary room off the main remote piloting floor of the main RaRa base on the fake island. Rara continued to speak, "Slade, the doctors should be there now. Just go with them and rest; you've done a good job, now you must recuperate."

"I'm quite all right sir," Slade told him, though his dry throat made his voice sound as though he were a zombie in training. The medical people bustled him onto a stretcher before he could make more protest. Chairman Rara knew better than to listen to it anyway. Slade was absolutely right- not being in the embattled Isolation Weapon, he had picked up no physical injury at all. The pain he had suffered, and the complicating effects of Life Sympathy, made his mental health hard to predict. He looked over the data on his tablet as his plane reached cruising altitude. Slade had removed his hands from the sympathy orbs so quickly that there was no time to measure whether he had been backwashed or not. Rara mulled over the unpleasant prospect that his future son-in-law might be shell-shocked, and one of his best pilots might never be able to use a robot again.

* * *

Aboard the Earth Defense Force carrier, the necessities of debriefings and feedings had ceased. Most of the key players in the force were now taking a few moments of rest in the common room. Mena wondered aloud, "Why is it that this ship is never used more? It could come in really handy against most robots."

Cmdr. Sanada told them, "I didn't really want to make something full of people a target, and neither did Rara. I took a risk with this ship today because I had to." He grinned. "Next time I ought to just abandon the robots and have this ship run away."

Ms. Hayase frowned. "I'm not sure our guns ought to have been able to pierce the Isolation Weapon's shields today. We've been very fortunate, and that makes me very glad."

"Yes, I can tell!" joked Alice impulsively.

Akane Yamano sighed, "It's most unfortunate that we were unable to hold that territory."

Yayoi said seriously, "I don't think any of us would care to repeat Kazuki or Mitsuki Sanada's experiences of being trapped behind enemy lines. I'm very glad that we were able to get out when we could."

Commander Sanada rubbed his hands together, then leapt to his feet. "In the grand scheme of things, it probably was just a nuisance raid," he laughed, "but at least it was a spectacular nuisance raid!" He began to laugh long and loud.


	40. Advent Ch 9

Chapter 9

Kaoru Hayase was startled out of slumber by a ringing phone. Groggily, she picked up the receiver, wondering what the trouble could be and what the call was about. The clock beside the bed read 1:57 A.M.

"Is that you?" the sharp and awake Ayuko Rara asked.

Ms. Hayase proved capable of stifling her yawn, but not of keeping tiredness from keeping into her voice. "Yes, ma'am. What's the problem?"

"Have there been any new satellite sightings of the rebels?" Ayuko inquired.

Ms. Hayase felt the intrigue slipping away. A yawn almost slipped out with it, but she barely caught it. "No, ma'am. No updates since the last report."

"The last report had them submerged in the ocean and evading the sonar of the world's navies. I was hoping for better news," Ayuko observed archly.

"I'm not aware of any new information," Ms. Hayase could not help punctuating that statement with a small yawn.

There was a pause on the line, then Ayuko commented, "Our family will be returning to the base soon. I expect better news then." She hung up.

Ms. Hayase collapsed back onto the pillow. That was it, then. Nothing about the condition of her future son-in-law, not even a realization that she had called across eight time zones to wake her up. Why was she not surprised?

* * *

The Earth Defense Force artifact carrier surged beneath the waters on pin-drop quiet running, though it was no longer necessary. There had been some close calls with destroyers, submarines, and anti-submarine nets, but they had finally managed to outfox the world and gotten away without the enemy knowing their direction. 

"I'm so glad we're on schedule," Mitsuki Rara commented. "We almost missed Kazuki's return."

"There's still several days remaining," Commander Sanada reminded them all. "We'll be off the coast near the old base with more than a day to spare."

Dee requested, "I want to be sure we're there in time. Can we please move faster, Dad? I mean, can we please move faster, Commander?"

Akane Yamano smiled at her. "We are at top speed, Dee. You know that. You looked into the computers yourself."

The commander gasped and said, "She can do that?"

"She's been a great help with mastering this vessel's control systems," Lt. Schwael informed them. Lt. Schwael was going to say more, about Ms. Hayase upgrading their computer security. Instead she noticed Mitsuki Sanada was staring aimlessly into space. Everyone else noticed it at the same time. Mitsuki Sanada broke from her trance, blushing furiously and cantankerously demanding, "What? Am I not allowed to think anymore?"

"You've been thinking quite a bit lately," Ryla pleasantly posited. "What are you thinking about?"

"Lots of things," Mitsuki crossed her arms and walked away.

"She has been thinking a lot lately. I don't know what could be causing it," Cmdr. Sanada said with an alarming grin on his face. Akane knew that grin; it meant that he knew very well what was causing it.

Mitsuki Sanada's odd behavior reminded Lt. Schwael of her counterpart's actions lately. She had noticed her duplicate meticulously washing a uniform and saying something about a prince, but hadn't wanted to venture into that subject. Nor did she feel comfortable broaching it now. While her duplicate washed uniforms, she had a job to do. Not that a prince would be bad thing.

* * *

Kent Slade lay in bed in the hospital area of the RaRa faux island base. He reckoned that if he actually had been sick or injured, he wouldn't have been able to begin a proper recovery yet, because people kept visiting him. First the bodyguard trio had dropped in, then Ms. Hayase. The morning after the battle, the Raras finally returned to the base, and all of them visited him, accompanied by the bodyguard trio and Ms. Hayase for a repeat visit. Ms. Hayase seemed to be stifling a yawn, but Kent was more concerned with convincing his fiance that he was uninjured. 

"That's good to hear. The doctors did say you could get up now." Chairman Rara beamed.

Kent made a few weak, patently false coughs and beseeched in a theatrically hoarse voice, "But Mom, I could infect the other kids at school!"

"If he doesn't get up soon, I think he won't be able to walk out," Alice commented. "He hasn't moved since yesterday! He hasn't even turned over!"

"That's the last time I order you not to move and get your rest!" the chairman laughed.

Kent laughed too. He sat up easily and moved to get out of bed.

"I'll help you," Mitsuki Rara offered, and he allowed her to, though he clearly needed no assistance.

"Maybe you can still pilot a robot if you're feeling this well," she commented. Kent wasn't quite sure why she seemed to only feign happiness at that idea. Chairman Rara agreed, "We do need to get that tested soon. We'll see how you do in Himc."

A grimace flashed across Kent's face, but he didn't let it stay. Fear of the pain Life Sympathy could produce would not rule him.

Everyone accompanied Slade to the red control room near Himc's hangar. Ayuko's gaze was the most intent, sweeping the pilot, robot, and computer readouts before her.

Ms. Hayase felt a great apprehension embroil her. To the outside world, she was just doing her job, analyzing data on everything from giant robots to military intelligence. Her concerns about the justification for her work she kept inside herself.

Kent Slade slowly seated himself in Himc's chair. Bracing himself for he knew not what, he breathed to heaven and slowly lowered his hands onto the sympathy orbs.

Without a moment's hesitation, they alit from within, light expanding from the center to fill the whole sphere with radiance. Kent let out his breath to heaven again, and smiled.

Kaoru Hayase swallowed back disappointment. The easy way was denied them.

"I'm never leaving my uberweapon again," Kent quipped, and for some reason everyone, even Ms. Hayase, laughed.

Chairman Rara could not restrain himself. Slade emerged from Himc with a ridiculous grin on his face, and found himself swept up in one of Hiroshi Rara's manly hugs. The others all gathered around for congratulations, and all too soon the party was broken up. Chairman Rara and Ayuko were called away by the public announcement system, and the bodyguard trio claimed to have duties elsewhere on the base. Kent finally found himself walking with Ms. Hayase and Ms. Rara.

"I haven't even asked how your trip went, before giant robots tried to cut it short," he realized.

"I suppose I should've enjoyed it more," she said sadly.

Kent's eyebrows went up in surprise, and decided to try a different tack. "Your mother seemed to enjoy it. She's been all smiles. How did she spend her time?"

"That's what we wanted to talk to you about," Ms. Hayase said suddenly. Kent nearly jumped in the air, he was so surprised at this unexpected comment. He chuckled nervously, "It was just an idle question."

He found they had arrived at a video room. Kent felt so nervous at the now pervasive silence and sad faces that he ventured a joke, "Hey, if you wanted to show me family videos, you could've just said so. I wouldn't have run away in fright or something."

"They aren't flattering," Mitsuki Rara murmured as Ms. Hayase queued up and played a recording made by a television crew showing Ayuko Rara shopping in the swank Parisian luxury store.

After a few minutes of listening to the newspeople gushing about Ayuko, and noticing that she seemed to be simply taking and taking and taking to the smiles of the world, Kent literally squirmed. He nervously chuckled again, "No wonder she was happy. What is this? A sickening and sordid shopping spree? I'd think your dad would to hit the roof over the credit card bill."

"There won't be any credit card bill," Ms. Hayase said suddenly.

Comprehension flashed over his face. "You're not kidding." He stood up and got closer to the images, and the comprehension calcified into anger. "She's not kidding," he nodded to the picture of Ayuko Rara.

Slade growled, turned his back on the image, and paced a moment. Then he barked, "I did not put in all this time and effort so that Ayuko could plunder the mall!"

He sighed and looked at the miserable Mitsuki Rara. "I'm sorry," he said more softly. She shook her head. "You're absolutely right. Father gives her too free a hand on indulging herself, but it's only a symptom of this whole organization's problems. It's just the same as what I told you that night."

Kent tried to take a step back but found he was already against the wall. He forced himself to relax. She had always trusted Ms. Hayase, so he supposed it was safe if Ms. Hayase knew about the time when Mitsuki had tried to tell him that the RaRa Army was evil and he hadn't listened. Kent had never realized until now this moment how deeply Mitsuki trusted Kaoru.

They were both looking at him expectantly, and he knew what they wanted. Both of them wanted his decision.

Slade shook his head. "I still think you're wrong. Well, about your dad, at least. You've convinced me on your mom." He turned a glare on the recording, which was still playing. "I'm not doing anything under her command." He turned his back on them and moved towards the door.

"She doesn't run the RaRa Army," Kaoru Hayase almost shouted.

Slade's laughter this time was more of a single bark. "We must pray that remains the case." Kent turned back to face them and said sincerely, "I need to leave this room now or someone might get suspicious. Let's all agree we were watching your vacation memories. After all," he craftily grinned at the footage still playing out, "that is what we were watching." With that, he made a melodramatic bow and walked out.

The room he had left was deathly silent for a moment. Ms. Hayase stopped the tape and sighed, "I didn't think he'd say that."

Mitsuki Rara shrugged. "Once he has an idea, he sticks to it."

"You always find the positive, Ms. Mitsuki," Ms. Hayase shook her head, half happily and half sadly.

"I didn't really expect him to change his mind," Mitsuki Rara said sadly. "I could read his decision in his eyes when he saw that tape. He's committed himself to the RaRa Army, and he thinks he has no choice but to stay the course until the end."

"This means that we have only one option," Ms. Hayase decided. "It seems incredible, but the Earth Defense Force is stronger than ever before. They can adequately defend the artifacts from exploitation by evil people."

"We'll need to be very careful when sabotaging Himc," Mitsuki Rara concurred. "Kent ought to be safe since no one tries to kill pilots, and it does have thick armor."

Ms. Hayase told her confidently, "Don't worry, Ms. Mitsuki. I've now got full access to your mother's network for controlling the robots. I can decrease Himc's powers to any level we choose. We'll just have to hope that the Earth Defense Force can defeat it before we're discovered and forced to stop interfering."

"If we wait for a convincing hit, Mother may not realize it's sabotage," Mitsuki Rara suggested. "After some fairly good blow, we can just shut it down completely. Whether or not we surrender, the Earth Defense Force will win, and we can take whatever action seems best to keep the war going in their favor."

Both women smiled at each other, though somewhat sadly.

* * *

Kent walked slowly through the halls on the way to his room. He muttered to himself, "I do not trust that Sladituss, he has a lean and hungry look." Kent began to laugh uncontrollably, his whole frame shaking. Pulling himself together again, he kept walking.

* * *

Ayuko conferred with Kumu, at the bottom of Himc's hangar. 

"There is no data on the Earth Defense Force's new pilots," Kumu stated annoyedly.

"Perhaps they're keeping it on a different server," Ayuko suggested. "Widen your search and I imagine you'll find it."

"You do not understand. Their entire network has been more difficult to penetrate. When in the past I could enter the network, there was absolutely no data or information on their new pilots," Kumu told her.

"I'm not really surprised with Sanada in charge," Ayuko dismissed Kumu's concerns. "He has all the organizational skills of a tornado."

"Their new pilots are a grave danger to us," Kumu raved. "If that man should turn against us, their new pilots have the capability to defeat our robots. You should have identified a female pilot for Himc long ago."

Ayuko paid this no heed. "If he did turn against us, I could use the control network to run Himc myself. That's what I installed it for. As long as we don't make any mistakes, we can't lose the advantage of having the entire planet on our side."

Kumu fumed, "Males are unpredictable and dangerous. Your attempts to control men are commendable, but leaving them in positions of power while you control them is foolish."

Ayuko put an index finger to her chin. "Don't worry on that front, Kumu. This organization only needs a push to topple into my grasp. I'm just letting it run on autopilot for a short while. A pretense for taking over would make it smoother, and it's hard since my husband was on a winning streak until the last battle. I've planned this coup for a long time. Gaining power at the right moment will make the plan move quickly."

"Our goal is finally near," Kumu agreed, "so we must not let any interference arise." She teleported Ayuko back to the surface of the island.

* * *

Kent Slade stalked about in his quarters all evening. If you asked him, he would say he didn't know why, but he felt like he was wrestling with the darkness. 


	41. Advent Ch 10

Chapter 10:

At long last, the day had finally arrived.

One month after they set out, Kazuki Yotsuga and Zinv appeared on the practice field of the captured Earth Defense Force base.

Kazuki looked around a moment. "Huh, it seems to be deserted." Then he did a double-take: there were people wearing the RaRa Army uniform popping their heads out of the building now. They were in a state of amazement.

His ear suddenly filled with a multitude of excited greetings, and with the audio signal came the visual signal, which formed into a picture on Zinv's screen. The picture showed him the exuberant band of people who had just greeted him, clustered on the artifact carrier's bridge. They were clustered around Cmdr. Sanada; he saw both Mitsukis, Dee, and Yayoi.

"Hello, everyone," he said.

"We haven't got much time," Commander Sanada told him. "Head for the ocean as fast as you can."

"Zinv really enjoys moving fast!" Kazuki cried, and barreled towards the coast a speed that made the RaRa Army personnel gasp.

"Hey, slow down!" protested Cmdr. Sanada. "I had no idea it went that fast! The rendezvous time's all messed up!"

"But the enemy already knows I'm here!" Kazuki protested. "I can't hang around!"

"If you insist on going that fast, at least let me calibrate the instruments to measure your robot!" the commander plead.

"Stop showing off," Mitsuki Sanada demanded. "We've all waited quite long enough for you to get here, and it'll all be for nothing if Zinv's too worn out to fight."

"That's not going to wear out Zinv," Dee said dreamily.

"Whose side are you on!" Mitsuki Sanada asked.

Zinv had to wait for a while by the water's edge, but soon the artifact carrier popped out of the water and advanced towards Zinv.

Zinv got aboard, and Kazuki climbed out of its cockpit. Upon the instant he was surrounded by the foursome. He found himself tongue-tied in an effort to greet them all properly and quickly. He had barely managed to do that when he found himself bear-hugged by Commander Sanada, causing Kazuki to cry out.

When Kazuki finally found himself relatively settled, he asked, "Uh, are we still above the surface? Why aren't we underwater again?"

Yayoi informed him, "It's a plan we came up with based on the last battle we fought. You remember, the way we conclusively defeated the RaRa Army in our universe."

"Great! I'm sure you've all been able to make a lot of improvements on it while I've been gone," Kazuki enthused.

Yayoi grinned sheepishly while Mitsuki Rara looked down and Dee scratched her head. Mitsuki Sanada took it upon herself to say, "We've already improved it by keeping me here at your side instead of in that thing. What more do you want?"

"Uh, I dunno-" Kazuki gulped.

Dee declared. "He wanted me not to disable this ship! This time I'll actually be helpful!"

Kazuki ventured, "Uh, uhm, Dee, you helped a lot last time, uh, all of you did, and, uh, that's all we need, I guess."

Yayoi finally recovered enough to say, "Essentially, we're just fighting it like we did last time. So my counterpart and I decided the artifact carrier would stay on the surface and move towards where all the debris from the universes colliding made an island."

"I'm sure they'll follow us with the battleship just like last time," Mitsuki Rara spoke up, "With Zinv at full power, you can defeat Himc almost immediately."

Kazuki was surprised. "Really? I thought Himc was a lot better, or unpredictable, or something."

Commander Sanada clapped him on the shoulder, hard enough to make Kazuki stumble forward. "Are you kidding? Your robot must be the ultimate power! It'll smash that idiot Rara's hulk into little bits!"

* * *

The RaRa island battleship was indeed at full steam ahead, in pursuit of the fleeing Earth Defense Force ship.

Kent was already ensconced in Himc, though it had not yet been launched. He commented, "I thought that thing could be a submarine, too. This seems like a rather transparent attempt at a trap."

Chairman Rara shrugged. "I'm sure he'd like to think it's a trap," he replied, "and that a shiny white robot appearing out of nowhere is going to finish us off. But between Himc and the battleship, there's not really anything stupid Sanada can do to us." He signed off in preparation for Ms. Rah to take direct command of the pilots. She would now be the only one directly talking to the pilots.

The chairman was located on the main battle bridge, accompanied only by his wife. The bodyguard trio was in the remote piloting area with the other jewel-cannon robots, getting ready for the coming battle. Mitsuki Rara ensconced herself in a command room with Ms. Hayase. Mitsuki had gotten into her Ms. Rah garb, but declined to enter the trance. Her mind was going to be her own today: she would only pretend to be in her trance. Mitsuki spoke with Ms. Rah's style and declared upon the communication circuit, "Today all the foolish enemies of the great Mr. Rah shall be judged! The rebels fleeing from his awesome power must fall! These insects of opponents shall shrivel before him!"

Ayuko looked at her husband. "You know, dear, I can't really stand this much longer. You didn't summon up any robots to hit that white one when it was just standing still on the beach. It was a perfect opportunity, standing there for such an agonizing length of time."

Hiroshi Rara turned to look at her in surprise. "Should I believe mad reports like 'A big white robot just appeared in flash of light'? I can't scramble robots for every little thing!" It was awkward trying to look at her, since she was to the side of the chair and slightly behind it. He stood up to turn towards her. "Without our instruments looking at that area, we had very little idea what was going on!"

"Stop making excuses," Ayuko said as she came around the chair from the other side and sat down in it, "We need someone who's got more determination to lead us." Rara made an astonished noise, and Ayuko shot him a look.

Hiroshi Rara subsided.

Ayuko looked at the main screen, showing them closing in on the artifact carrier. "Ms. Rah," Ayuko ordered through the communication system, "send all the robots topside."

"All robots, arise to the surface and display your power and glory!" Mitsuki Rara feigned the appropriate voice. She turned to Ms. Hayase, and they both looked at each other for a moment.

Mitsuki Rara shook her head. "Kent's going to be furious when he finds out."

Ms. Hayase sadly stated, "There's nothing we can do about it now without using up our opportunity."

Ms. Rara nodded, and Ms. Hayase said, "I'm ready to power down Himc at any time."

* * *

Aboard the artifact carrier, Ms. Hayase from the synthesis universe was aboard a Core Robot. She watched as Kazuki asked, "Are we all ready to do this again?"

"I'm ready to do it for the first time," Cmdr. Sanada reminded him.

The sensors of both the Earth Defense Force and the RaRa Army registered a massive dimensional breach nearby. Buildings and sod from Kent Slade's home universe and from the synthesis universe began to pile on top of each other in the middle of the ocean to form an unnatural island. Across the planet, buildings and landmarks and cars were being ripped from their original worlds and literally dropped into others.

From her Core Robot, Ms. Hayase commented, "As we all know, it won't be long now. If the convergence isn't halted, the worlds will collide and destroy each other in just a few hours."

"Then we'd better do our best," Cmdr. Sanada commented.

Lt. Schwael operated the artifact carrier from its bridge while her counterpart from the synthesis universe piloted a Core Robot. The lieutenant ordered, "All units are cleared to deploy!"

Zinv shot out of the artifact carrier and onto the island, followed by Earth Defense Force transport planes bearing the other Core Robots.

Aboard the RaRa Army battleship, Ms. Rara ordered the RaRa Army robots to advance upon the island. The jewel-cannons swam while Himc floated above the waves.

Akane Yamano's stance was firm beside Cmdr. Sanada on the bridge of the artifact carrier. "They're very confident," she commented. "I hope Mr. Yotsuga is as skillful as we've heard."

The voice of the synthesis world's Mitsuki Rara said, "I think they're going to surface soon- there are ripples appearing around the island."

"Thank you," Lt. Schwael responded. "We're ready here."

* * *

Kent Slade observed the unnatural, newly-created island with some trepidation, but he hadn't time to try and work out what was going on. He watched the new, white robot carefully during the approach. It was a lot bigger than anything they had used before, though it was still shorter than his robot. Their new unit also had- hair? Wings, too? That was two things he hadn't expected.

* * *

Ayuko's hands securely gripped the sympathy orbs on the chair. She could tell the battleship she was piloting was ready to surface. Grinning her odd grin, she used the orbs to give the battleship the final necessary command.

The faux island reared out of the ocean, a massive iceberg appearing even larger now with its full bulk visible than it did while merely an island. The RaRa battleship had been unveiled.

* * *

Unit 1 and 2's inexperienced pilots gasped in fright. Everyone else was relatively prepared for the sight. Lt. Schwael transmitted, "Mr. Yotsuga, we will engage the battleship. Good luck."

"We'll clear the way to Himc for you," Mitsuki Rara offered as she and the other Core Robots ran ahead of Zinv.

Ayuko was disturbed to see the artifact carrier advancing towards her. She extended laser weapons from the battleship's hull and opened fire, but the carrier evaded her and returned fire. The civilization that created it was somehow able to make it fast and nimble. Nothing could outrun a laser, but there were always methods to confuse a human aiming a weapon. Irritated, Ayuko told Ms. Rah, "Disable the enemy robots as best you can. Don't waste our robots on this stupid enemy ship."

Ms. Rara ordered, "Fire as soon as possible upon the worthless opponents! Choose any target you wish!"

Slade replied, "Yes, Commander." Quickly charging his high-energy bullet, he fired it into the advancing wedge of Core Robots.

"What's happening?" Kazuki cried, as just before him he saw the bullets impacting and the Core Robots swerving from side to side in evasive maneuvers.

Dee told him, "Himc's figured out some way to fire its long-range bullet really fast! It doesn't pack as much of a punch, though."

Grimly setting his mouth, Kazuki determined that he was in range for his gravitational shell. Zinv stopped and held its arm forward, causing a blue ball of energy to form.

Kent Slade was carefully watching his opponents. His shells had managed to break up the charge of the usual enemy robots fairly well, and the jewel-cannons were now engaging them. He saw the new white robot was entirely still and forming a blue ball of energy. Kent snapped off a high-energy bullet, which speeded towards the new robot.

Kazuki saw the bullet coming and dodged it with incredible speed. Slade was amazed. A third thing he hadn't expected. It was at this point that he began to wish this battle were as easy as the one where the Core Robots tripped over a parked car.

Mitsuki Sanada complained, "Kazuki, what do you think you're doing! Surely Zinv's shields can hold out against weak blasts like that!"

"You want me to let myself get hit?" Kazuki was incredulous. He had no time to talk further, for he saw Himc had launched another bullet at his location. As he was dodging, Himc's beam lanced into him. Slade had intentionally fired the bullet slightly to one side of Zinv, hoping to make it dodge to the other side. Guessing where it would be allowed Slade to aim accurately despite its speed.

Zinv stood entirely undamaged, its shield glowing white a moment. "You're right, Mitsuki," Kazuki agreed. He powered up another gravitational shell.

"Not too much energy," Kazuki and Zinv thought to each other. "We wouldn't want to hurt the pilot."

Slade was undeterred. When his high-energy bullet had recharged, he fired it and the beam upon Zinv. Unmoved and unharmed, Zinv fired the shell.

Himc smoothly strafed to the side, its shield barely moving clear.

"Oh, no," Kazuki groaned.

* * *

In the RaRa Army battleship, Ms. Hayase looked in astonishment at the energy emitted by the gravitational shell. "Ms. Mitsuki, we won't need to pretend that their robot beat Himc."

From inside the room, the faint sound of the artifact carrier's lasers playing upon the hull could be heard.

* * *

Akane Yamano decided she preferred to be seated when the carrier was undergoing such extreme evasive maneuvers. Lt. Schwael was simultaneously attacking the RaRa battleship and dodging its attacks, causing the entire craft to swerve unexpectedly.

"How are our shields?" Cmdr. Sanada asked.

"Holding, sir!" an officer replied, and nearly fell out of her chair as Lt. Schwael made an unexpected turn.

"Holding our own against a gigantic battleship. I don't think you're paying Lt. Schwael enough," Akane told Cmdr. Sanada.

* * *

The Core Robots were defeating the jewel-cannon robots on the beach, preventing them from getting through to Himc and Zinv. One of the jewel-cannon robots dispatched in the battle was that piloted by Mitsuki Rara's bodyguards. They climbed out of their chairs at the RaRa Army base and were only slightly surprised when Mitsuki Rara asked them to join her in her command room. The trio were bodyguards, and they guessed she wanted their company and confidence, especially now that the base was under direct attack.

* * *

All this time, Slade had been attempting to use strafing to avoid Zinv's shells, but this had become increasingly difficult. He was finally tagged by one shell and horrified when it pierced his shield and annihilated part of Himc's cocoon. Slade called for backup but was informed by Ms. Rara that none could reach him because of the Core Robots. Zinv had only fired three shots since Himc's first strafing, and Kazuki decided to simply go to melee range. He charged at high speed, and Slade knew he could not evade him. Himc fired its beam and bullet upon Zinv to no effect.

* * *

When the trio arrived at the command room, Mitsuki asked them to lock the door. She then asked them, "You must decide now who you'll be loyal to. I ask that you remain in here with me and not let anyone else in this room. If you prefer working for my mother, then you'd better leave now before you're implicated."

Ryla was amazed, but told her, "You're our friend, Mitsuki. We like you, and we're going to stay with you!" The other two vocalized "Hm!" and nodded.

"Thank you," Ms. Rara smiled.

* * *

Slade saw that the new white robot had entered his tentacle range. First he performed the Hydra, making the tentacles of Himc dance and weave confusingly before the eye.

"What does Himc think it's doing?" Kazuki wondered aloud. It looked like the pilot had gone insane.

Slade fired a high-energy bullet and a beam and struck out with the tentacles. All three were halted by Zinv's shield. The shield flared a moment, and two of Himc's tentacles that were still in contact with it exploded. Slade yelped at the sudden pain.

Kazuki had almost reached Himc. In seconds he could get close enough to pierce its shields with Zinv's hands. Then he would be able to rip the pilot out of the cockpit and destroy Himc for the second time.

"Almost there, Kazuki!" Dee cheered him on.

"Himc's never been a match for him," Yayoi exulted.

* * *

Aboard the RaRa Army battleship, Ms. Hayase, Ms. Rara, and the trio waited for Zinv to defeat the RaRa Army.

* * *

Kumu decided she had to act immediately. 


	42. Advent Ch 11

Chapter 11:

As she watched the fight from deep within the RaRa Army battleship, Kumu repeatedly attempted to access the hardware of the new white robot, to no avail. "It does not have a limiter, it is being piloted by a male, and it is beyond my control," she raged to herself.

Kumu grew increasingly frustrated as the white robot gained the upper hand. She began to say to herself, "Male instincts are dangerous, holding the key to unparalleled destruction. But that man in the white robot is my enemy, and will destroy me. The man in Himc is a tool I can use. He is somewhat controlled, and Himc's hardware is accessible to me, while the white robot is beyond all restraint." When Zinv was only seconds away from Himc, she made her decision and acted upon it immediately.

Kumu released the limiter upon Himc.

* * *

Zinv stopped short as Himc was engulfed in a storm of unexpected energy. It subsided, and Himc took the opportunity to move backwards, doing so at a rapid rate. A network of green lines appeared upon the hole in Himc's cocoon and around the damaged tentacles, rapidly repairing the damage.

"That's the nano-fiber self healing system!" Kazuki shouted.

* * *

"Massive power surge from the large robot!" cried an officer on the artifact carrier.

"Oh, no," Cmdr. Sanada breathed.

"I hope Yotsuga smashes it soon," Akane muttered as they went through another abrupt evasive maneuver.

* * *

Two swathes of shining light emerged from Himc's back and shattered to reveal luminescent green wings.

Dee was alarmed, shaking her green hair vehemently. "It can't have light-hawk wings too!" Her counterpart, the bioroid D, trembled in her cockpit, but managed to go on fighting by burying her terror.

Zinv charged forward, determined to end the fight now. His hand shot forward and impacted on Himc's shield. Kazuki attempted to pierce Himc's shields as usual, but it was not working. The shield flared, and Zinv's fingertips exploded. Kazuki shouted at the pain. Zinv fell back as his own nano-fiber system regrew the fingers.

Kazuki thought aloud as Himc began dodge about and he tried to predict its intentions, "This explains a lot. There's another guy in there. It must be someone we've had no experience with; that's why he doesn't use Himc the way we expect."

* * *

Slade looked at the sympathy orbs beneath his hands. Instead of their customary reddish-orange light, they were now filled with a roiling darkness. "Commander," he said as he moved Himc backwards and lined up a shot, "I don't know what this is, but I like it."

* * *

His commander, in her room in the RaRa Army battleship, looked in astonishment at Himc's rising power figures. Ayuko shouted to Ms. Rah, "Argh! Destroy the white robot, this is a perfect opportunity! Ungh, stupid flying ship!" She was having difficulty shooting at the artifact carrier, which distracted her from giving commands to her daughter.

Ms. Rara's bodyguards looked around in confusion. Mena finally ventured a question, "Ms. Mitsuki, why is your mother giving the orders?"

"She's taken over the RaRa Army," was all Mitsuki Rara said.

* * *

Slade found it difficult to pull away from Zinv. Despite Himc's new stock of energy, it still was slow. He fired the high-energy bullet at low power, as well as the beam and several of his tentacles. Zinv's shields took the hits. Himc's tentacles were destroyed, but quickly regenerated. Zinv was now again within striking distance, and punched and kicked at Himc's shield. His hands and feet were damaged, but regenerated.

* * *

Ms. Hayase insisted, "Ms. Mitsuki, we have to turn off Himc now: it's still growing in power!"

"We can't turn it off," Mitsuki Rara said worriedly, "Kent would be killed accidentally by that other robot! Look how fiercely they're fighting!"

* * *

Mitsuki Rara from the synthesis universe told Kazuki, "We're going to back you up. We'll be there any second."

"No, don't!" Kazuki said. "It's too strong for that! Zinv and I will just have to do our best!" He stepped away from Himc several paces and powered up a gravitational shell.

Mitsuki Sanada shouted, "Kazuki, we're helping whether you like it or not!"

The silver-haired head of Yayoi also appeared on Kazuki's communication screen and assured him, "We'll use caution. There is no way we are abandoning you."

Kazuki grunted, "All right, but don't get in the way of this blast."

* * *

Kumu floated in Himc's empty hangar, pleased with herself. It was still difficult to think of giving a man this much free rein, but she'd be sure to reestablish the limiter after this battle. "Himc's true, untapped power will soon manifest itself," she mused. "When piloted by a male it gains a new ability. Soon, it will display the power of-" Kumu pulled up short. Himc's controls had been reset; now it was only generating as much power as it had before Kumu removed the limiters! Kumu frantically ran a diagnostic on the systems. The light-hawk wings and nano-fibers were still operational, but at the cost of shields and weapons weaker than Himc's norm. Kumu could not find the source of the power drain, and checked all the systems again.

* * *

Zinv fired the shell, but Slade cunningly increased Himc's hovering power so that Himc rose into the air for a brief period of time. The shot, however, passed through the lowest section of Himc's body, disintegrating it. In the madness of pain, Slade fired the beam and hit Zinv to no avail. Nano-fibers struggled to reassemble the dissolved portions of Himc.

* * *

With incredible shock, Kumu identified the source of Himc's woes. Lacking time to bring Ayuko down to the hangar, Kumu resorted to telepathic communication with Ayuko. "Someone has tapped into your control network!" Kumu angrily thought at Ayuko. "They are reducing Himc's power levels! Send guards to this room while I attempt to disable the hacker's connection!"

Ayuko was simultaneously astonished and irritated at this distraction from trying to hit the incredibly pesky artifact control ship. Ayuko thought back, "Argh, Kumu, I'm busy right now, and- what? That's Ms. Rah's command bridge! What is she doing?" She took only a moment to dispatch some guards, then made another attempt to swat the fly that was the Earth Defense Force carrier.

Ms. Hayase quickly entered more commands onto her console and said, "They've traced it back here. We'd better be sure the door is locked." The sirens and lights indicating an intruder alert activated all over the base: Ms. Rah was deemed the intruder. There was a pounding at the door of Ms. Rah's command room.

The bodyguard trio turned to the door. "We've got your back, Ms. Mitsuki, Ms. Hayase," Ryla assured them both.

"If they ever get through that door," Alice vowed, "they'll get a taste of my kung fu action!"

"You know kung fu?" Mena asked.

"I learned it at the greatest martial arts school ever, the arcade!" Alice proudly informed everyone.

* * *

Dee, Yayoi, and the two Mitsukis used their Core Robots to attack Himc from the side. Slade saw them coming but concentrated on the winged unit. The grenades from the Core Robots pierced Himc's weakened shield and destroyed two of its tentacles. Slade hissed in pain and astonishment.

Yayoi was quite perplexed. "It must be getting significantly weaker," she commented.

Himc backed away and fired upon Zinv to no effect. After firing another gravitational shell which actually missed thanks to Slade's dodging, Zinv ran towards Himc. Himc's lower section and destroyed tentacles had yet to fully regrow.

* * *

Kumu attempted to secure manual control of Himc's engines while disabling its connections to the outside world, hoping to cut off Ms. Hayase.

Ms. Hayase rapidly entered more commands into her console, building fortifications around her communications link with Himc. She was aided by the fact that Ayuko had built the network to be very hard to detect and disable. Kumu still knew the network well and was disturbingly close to disconnecting her.

* * *

Upon the beach of the debris island, Kaoru Hayase from the synthesis world, along with D the bioroid and the other two Core Robots, destroyed the last of the jewel-cannon robots. The Core Robots ran along the beach, hoping to reach Himc's other flank or its back.

* * *

Lt. Schwael once again raked the hull of the RaRa Army battleship with the carrier's laser weapons, taking only a few hits in return.

* * *

Slade looked at the large white robot running toward him and decided he had to use every weapon he could in the short time before it arrived. He launched all his remaining tentacles against it though he knew they'd almost certainly explode. He fired the beam and sustained it on the target as long as possible. He charged up the bullet as much as he could in the time possible. He fired all of these weapons upon his enemy.

Kazuki and Zinv passed through the attacks unscathed. All of Himc's tentacles were destroyed. Zinv leapt in the air, his hand outstretched, and easily pierced the shields.

"Goodbye," Kent said into his communication system.

The next thing he heard was the fingers of Zinv shearing the metal of Himc's hull. The next thing he saw was its fingers enveloping him and the cockpit, pulling him out of the robot.

* * *

The command room of Ms. Rah was totally silent, apart from guards hammering on the door.

* * *

Kumu raged, "If only that white robot and its pilot would just disappear."

* * *

Kazuki told Mitsuki Sanada, "Here, this time you get to take the pilot." He handed off the severed cockpit containing Slade to her Core Robot.

Yayoi looked at the extracted cockpit and noted, "You severed all the cables neatly. That must've taken a lot of practice."

"I have had plenty," Kazuki laughed. Wind began to circulate around Zinv's fingers, and he compressed Himc into nothing.

* * *

Kent was not sure when his heart rate would return to normal. Not only was he a prisoner again, but also Himc had just been squashed into nothing, and he was suspended high above the ground in the grasp of a giant robot. This is a rather gentlemanly war, but accidents still happen, he thought to himself.

* * *

The artifact carrier had retreated from the RaRa Army battleship upon seeing Himc destroyed, as planned. Kazuki communicated to Cmdr. Sanada, "Tell the RaRa Army to evacuate their base now."

Red lightning played between Zinv's fingers, and the Core Robots fell back to a safe distance, bearing Kent with them.

* * *

"Evacuate?" Ayuko shouted at the screen where Cmdr. Sanada was conveying the warning. "Just on your word? You've taken out my Himc, but I'm going to take your white robot!" She fired all the lasers of the battleship at Zinv.

* * *

Kent's cockpit was laid to rest on the far side of the island, and he watched in amazement as a dark sphere with a red sheen took form between Zinv's hands. Every laser beam from the battleship started out on a proper trajectory to hit Zinv, but eventually curved to end inside the hole. Kent gasped in English, "Oh no, he's got a black hole." Through his horrified mind drifted thoughts like, "Mitsuki and her bodyguards and Chairman Rara are still in there!" and "He had a black hole! I'm glad he was holding back; he could've killed me whenever he wanted! Nothing can beat a black hole!"

* * *

Hiroshi Rara looked at Ayuko as lightning bolts began to fill the RaRa Army base. One way or another, the base was going to be evacuated. He stepped towards her.

* * *

The pounding at the door of Ms. Rah's room ceased several moments later as Hiroshi Rara ordered the base evacuated. There were crashing and rumbling sounds throughout the base.

* * *

Slade found himself singing, "Disperse the gloomy clouds of night/And death's dark shadows put to flight," and then pausing a moment as he swallowed in fear for his fiance and friends aboard the battleship. It was at that moment that he saw great transport helicopters leaving the base, and he was overcome with gratitude.

Kazuki saw that the evacuation was complete. "Hopefully this'll be the last time, Zinv," Kazuki said. Zinv roared, and the black hole between his hands expanded to incredible size, engulfing the battleship. For a moment, very little could be seen; then the black hole disappeared, and Zinv appeared floating above the crater.

* * *

Minutes later, Kazuki, Dee, Yayoi, and the two Mitsukis from the synthesis world had gathered around the severed cockpit of Himc to see just who their mysterious enemy was. The refugees of the RaRa Army had only started to arrive.

Cmdr. Sanada walked over with Akane Yamano, Lt. Schwael, and Mrs. Nanjyoin, noted that the pilot had made no move to leave the cockpit, and shouted, "Hey, come on out of there! The war's over!"

Without a word, Kent Slade drew himself up out of the cockpit and stood before them. The disquiet he felt could not be seen; instead he appeared unsatisfied, as though he were not yet ready to let the war end. Surveying his enemies before him, Kent saw quickly that, as he had guessed, there was a duplicate of Mitsuki Rara. Yay, I'm right, he thought hollowly to himself. There was also another woman who looked disturbingly like her; he heard Cmdr. Sanada refer to her as "Ms. Sanada." To the left was a young woman with silver hair in an officer's jacket; to the right was an identical woman in a pilot suit. He'd never seen a young woman with silver hair. That was odd. There were two cute duplicate young ladies with hair an attractive shade of ... green. That was odder. There was also, to his befuddlement, duplicates of the bodyguard trio, as well as a second Ms. Hayase in a pilot's outfit among the enemy.

Kent shook his head in amazement and muttered to himself, "Will a bearded Mr. Spock be joining us later?"

Dee, like everyone else, had peered inquisitively at Kent from the moment he emerged from the cockpit. Now she smiled. "He's our doorbell repairman! Mr. Slade!"

Kent stared in shock at Dee. Everyone else was surprised, too, but they suddenly caught the similarities. His RaRa Army uniform was much flashier and better looking than the uniform his handyman company issued, and he had been in a better mood even while Drs. Sanada and Rara were shocking themselves, but they were indeed looking at Slade.

Disquiet arose in Kent as the expressions of his enemies changed to recognition. This was crazy- he'd never repaired their doorbell! Then he realized that he hadn't, but if they recognized him, then it must've been his counterpart who had.

* * *

Several hours later, every piece of artifact technology had been destroyed apart from Zinv. Kazuki was patiently waiting as Cmdr. Sanada set up the device that would allow it to be destroyed. From time to time, more debris from other worlds would appear on the island around them. If Zinv were not destroyed, then these worlds and everyone in them would be annihilated.

Kent and the Mitsuki Rara he knew stood, as they had for the best part of the time since the battle, amongst the vanquished army. She decided this was the best time to tell him. She whispered to him, "Kent, we did what we had to. Ms. Hayase and I made the decision to sabotage Himc in the battle we just fought." Kent's mouth dropped open and stayed there.

"We only removed some of its power," she continued nervously, "seeing that the new white robot was so strong. I never wanted it to kill you."

"You did what?" Kent shouted, making her flinch. Every head on the island turned towards him. Gathering herself, she whispered again, though whispering seemed pointless now, "There's only one more thing you don't know. Another way I justified it was by what you said; that you wouldn't pilot under Ayuko. She executed a coup."

"She did what!"

Some nearby people covered their ears.

Kent Slade was livid, and he stalked towards Ayuko Rara. Ayuko's fright showed plainly on her face. Kent stopped abruptly and growled, "She wouldn't dare." It seemed impossible, but in the next moment his glare intensified and he ground out, "She would dare."

Kazuki laughed anxiously. "Yeah, I'm afraid she would. Uh, I mean, whatever it is you're talking about, she probably would. Don't, uh, don't get carried away or anything."

Slade spun about to face him, stared a moment, then cooled his wrath and walked away from Ayuko.

Cmdr. Sanada uneasily returned to setting up the trigger for Zinv's detonation.

Kent squinted in the sunlight. He wished that he had his nonprescription sunglasses with him, but was painfully aware they had been inside his room on the RaRa base, which he had just seen get squished as flat as a pancake. Kent desired his sunglasses fervently, which was quite odd for him. Had he even been able to retrieve them from beyond the event horizon of the black hole, they'd probably be smaller than his thumbnail. The sunlight wasn't all that bright. Yet the light hurt his eyes all the same.

* * *

"All done!" Cmdr. Sanada announced at last.

"Thanks!" Kazuki exclaimed. "Zinv and I just hope we never have repeat this a third time!" He quickly strode toward the trigger and almost hit the red button again, but stopped himself in time. He put his hand behind his head, slightly embarrassed. "I wouldn't want to repeat that mistake. I'll just try to finish this quickly." He turned toward the lever.

To his surprise, and everyone's, Dee, Yayoi, and the two Mitsukis from the synthesis world were all in a rough circle about the lever on the trigger console. All four stepped towards the lever simultaneously. Noticing the action, they all pulled up sharply after that step. Stares were traded around the circle and around the island.

Kent Slade drummed his fingers against his leg impatiently.

"Fine," Mitsuki Sanada decided, "all four of us are going to pull the lever at once, on the count of three."

"A most equitable arrangement," Yayoi agreed.

"I've been looking forward to this!" Dee giggled.

"We'll all make this world," Mitsuki Rara agreed.

"Uhm, I thought I was going to-" Kazuki began to say.

"One, two, three," Mitsuki Sanada said, and the massive lever was pushed down. She noted with surprise that there were five pairs of hands pushing down the lever. The fifth pair of hands had a ring. Looking over her shoulder, she was astonished to discover that the Mitsuki Rara from this universe, still in Ms. Rah garb, was the owner of the fifth pair of hands.

"Who let her in!" Mitsuki Sanada gasped.

"I did," Mitsuki Rara from the synthesis universe said innocently.

"You're not allowed to stack the odds in your favor," Yayoi argued with her.

Zinv's explosion engulfed the entire island.


	43. Advent Ch 12

Chapter 12:

Kazuki woke up before his alarm clock woke him up. There was nobody in his room, though he was sure that would change in the next few seconds. In the meantime, he tried to recall this dream he just had. He had been blowing up Zinv.

No wait; that was reality. He had really done it once, then he had gotten Zinv back, then he had dreamed about blowing up Zinv again. Kazuki then recalled that it was all real, that he really had blown up Zinv a second time.

He tried to remember his friends. He and Shiozaki and Izawa had just been watching the red Core Robot and Himc fighting, out in front of Dr. Sanada's house. Kazuki was confused, because he had only seen himself doing that in a vision. Then he realized that he was able to remember it because it was one of the universes combined together as a result of destroying Zinv the second time. So now he remembered seeing it in a vision and actually doing it.

How many universes had been bound together this time? Three? Five? This was getting to be too much for him to remember.

Mitsuki Sanada entered. "Kazuki, get up- oh."

"Mitsuki, how many parallel universes did we put together this time?"

"I'm impressed," she smiled, "you didn't wander around all day thinking it was a dream."

Slightly irritated, he pressed her, "I'm serious, how many."

"Five," was her immediate reply, "if you count the two we previously made into a third universe."

Kazuki sighed. "I'm never going to keep all this straight."

Yayoi entered through the door in the wall. "Don't bother trying to keep it straight, simply enjoy this new world. I'm just happy I got this door back."

"You can thank me for giving you a place at the lever by washing the dishes after breakfast," Mitsuki Sanada said evenly.

"Was that all it took to place the door here?" Kazuki was incredulous.

"Dad's the dimensional physicist, not me," Mitsuki Sanada shrugged it off. "We have to go finish breakfast." She and Yayoi left the room.

Kazuki got dressed, and before he left his room, he carefully checked the hallway to see that Kumu the dog was gone. Dee walked along the hall and called reassuringly, "Don't worry Kazuki, I put her outside to have some fun today!"

"Thanks, Dee!" Kazuki bowed slightly to show his gratitude.

Dee told him, "It certainly was exciting getting to fight in a human body. And Dr. Hayase is a really nice person; I was glad that she got to be a pilot too!" Kazuki heartily agreed.

They both went downstairs to the table. Akane and Dr. Sanada were seated at the table. Akane commented, "I didn't hear any screaming this morning, Kazuki. Have the girls finally taught you to wake up early?"

"I wouldn't count on it," Dr. Sanada said without looking up from the newspaper. He took a swig of coffee.

"Ken!" Akane rapped him on the hand. "You should encourage him in healthy habits!"

"No, no," Dr. Sanada said hurriedly, "I was talking about this story in the newspaper. I wouldn't count on Dr. Rara being named the most important scientist in the world."

"Ken!" Akane growled fiercely, since Mitsuki Rara had just entered the room.

"Well, the world is a big place," Mitsuki Rara commented amiably. She beamed at Kazuki, "Good morning, Kazuki."

"Uh, good morning," he returned, finally taking his place at the table. Mitsuki Rara set down her serving of breakfast, soon to be followed and not to be outdone by Yayoi and Mitsuki Sanada. As everyone ate, they could hear the bodyguard trio outside playing with Kumu.

Kazuki and the others headed out the door, ready to go to school. They went out of the gate marking Dr. Sanada's property. While Mitsuki Sanada shut the gate, Kazuki looked next door, towards the big house immediately to the side. Once the Raras had used it to spy on him, but now he knew it was totally innocuous.

There was a noise to the side, and he saw Mitsuki Rara's identical twin sister at the gate to that house. Of course Mitsuki Rara never had one before this new universe was created, but now she did and that was that. Now emerging from that gate was Kent Slade, wearing the nonprescription sunglasses he refused to part with. Kazuki swallowed nervously, despite knowing that in this world's history they had friendly relations. What if Slade chose to continue the animosities of the past?

That question was quickly answered as Slade turned to their group and smiled. He and his wife, Mitsuki's twin, walked towards them, and everyone greeted one another pleasantly.

Kent looked around the group very carefully. "I really must apologize," he said sincerely. "I've treated you all very badly, made you all go to a lot of trouble." He smiled at his wife. "She tried to warn me, you know, but I just wouldn't listen. I was entirely prepared to overthrow the world for the sake of my pride, and I'm sorry."

Kazuki stepped forward. "As far as we're concerned," he assured Kent, "it never happened."

Kent bowed forward. "I thank you all."

Dee commented, "I really like what you've done with the place! I think it looks a lot better!"

Blushing, Mitsuki's twin commented, "Thank you. I did hope that it would all turn out well."

"After all the work you put into it, it should." Kent continued, "I always did think it was a pity that this property was destroyed. I'm grateful to you that a less violent method was arranged for Zinv's return this time."

Mitsuki Sanada shook her head. "I think you'll have to explain exactly what happened more clearly. This troublemaker doesn't understand something unless you explain it five or six times."

Kazuki objected, "Hey, that's not true at all!"

Yayoi looked pointedly at her watch, and Mitsuki Rara's twin suggested they all walk towards the Nanjyo Academy for a while. On the way, Kent attempted to convey his understanding of what had occurred.

"Basically," Kent explained, "all of you combined the world I came from, the world I went to, and your synthesis world to make a new synthesis world. Of course, the previous synthesis world consisted of the world where Kazuki came from and the one where he didn't exist."

"I envy your comprehension," Kazuki groaned.

Kent chuckled reassuringly. "It took me quite a few sessions with Dr. Sanada and Dr. Rara to understand it myself. Especially since they spent most of the time denigrating each other instead of explaining it to me."

Mitsuki Rara, walking next to Kazuki, commented, "Aren't those your friends ahead?"

Shiozaki and Izawa were walking towards them, unnatural stares imprinted upon their faces.

"Oh no," moaned Dee. Mitsuki Sanada growled at the interlopers, who were still a good distance off.

"I am a teacher at the school. They won't bother us too much while I'm here," Yayoi reassured them.

"I didn't mean to cause a commotion," Mitsuki Rara said. "They might just be on their way to school."

"They aren't," Kazuki groaned. "I know where they live. They've gone out of their way to intercept us."

"It's bad enough that they remember where we live without their following us to school!" Mitsuki Sanada complained. She shouted, "Ryla! Mena! Alice! Go tackle those two or something!"

"Hold on!" Mitsuki Rara countermanded, but it was too late.

The bodyguard trio yelled happily and ran out from behind their current cover, a large tree, and sped towards Kazuki's friends, who blanched and began to run away. The trio rapidly pursued them around a corner and out of sight.

D wondered aloud, "Can't we get arrested for ordering our friends to attack people?"

Mitsuki Rara decided, "I'm going after them." She began to run in the direction her bodyguards had gone. The others sped up to follow her, and Kazuki would've gone too, but Kent said, "Kazuki, wait up."

"Yes, Kent?" Kazuki queried, recalling that they were on a first name basis in this synthesis world.

Kent said, "Kazuki, I really wanted to thank you. You could've killed me and my wife at least twice, but you didn't. Instead, you let me have this great life. I am forever in your debt."

Kazuki put his hand behind his head and commented, "Gee, I don't know what to say. Except that I think your count's wrong. And I can't recall ever trying to kill any of the Mitsukis." Kent shrugged and admitted, "I was counting your ability to leave my wife and I out of this universe as one of the opportunities. Perhaps that was a bit extreme of me. But you did let everybody evacuate the battleship. And you could've just swallowed me alive with the black hole, but instead you took your time and got me clear." Kazuki agreed, "Of course. I wouldn't have done anything else." There seemed nothing else to say, and so they were silent until the others returned.

"If they sue us, I'm blaming you!" D teased Mitsuki Sanada.

"D, we are not going to get in trouble!" Mitsuki Sanada insisted.

Yayoi concurred, "Fortunately not, since Ms. Rara was able to call her bodyguards back in time."

"They were just going to give them a stern talking-to," Mitsuki Rara assured them.

Alice looked determined. "Yeah, but next time there'll be no mercy! Kung fu action!"

Mitsuki's twin plead, "I'd really rather you didn't."

"Don't worry, Ms. Mitsuki," Ryla said calmly, "she doesn't even know kung fu."

"We'll make sure Alice doesn't hurt herself too badly," Mena grinned.

D looked up and saw an airplane flying high overhead. "I can't wait till the spaceship's ready!" She addressed this to Slade.

"Spaceship?" Kazuki asked.

Yayoi reminded him. "Your parents hired Dr. Hayase, Mr. Slade, and Slade's advisor Dr. Warai to help design the spaceship we'll all be voyaging on."

"Nepotism had absolutely nothing to do with it," Slade chuckled.

Mitsuki Rara put in, "We've all been working on the ship and preparations for the journey for the past few years, and we're nearly finished."

"Only a few weeks more!" D skipped with happiness.

"It won't be long now, Kazuki," Mitsuki Sanada laughed at Kazuki as he slowly remembered this aspect of the new universe. "Soon we're all going to travel in outer space!"

Kazuki looked around him. "This world really is great!"

Mitsuki Sanada looked suspiciously at him.

"The last one was great too!" he hurriedly clarified.

* * *

Advent ends here, but it is only the second part of a larger story. In the final installment, Pioneers, the main characters will finally go to space after their long wait. The first chapter of the next story will be posted tomorrow.

**Ending Credits:**

Great minds think alike. I did read several Dual fanfictions after I had the ideas for writing mine, but I had my ideas first and tried not to steal. "Dual! What Is This Emotion Love? When We Least Expect It Pt. 2," by COHugh, has Ms. Hayase becoming a doctor, a title she richly deserves. Also, Clayton Overstreet's "Dual Episode 15 Decision" came to the same conclusion I had independently; Yayoi would be able to pilot a robot in the synthesis world.

Acknowledgements:

I'd like to thank and acknowledge my beta readers Blue Comet and Shiori Hitohana for putting up with my initial versions of my stories. If you think it stinks now, just imagine what it was like before they improved it!

The Dual DVD (Digital Video Disc) extras and the "Dual! Ultimate Fan Guide" by Guardians of Order proved extremely helpful to me. If I misinterpreted them, it's my fault.

I'd also like to thank Star Trek for its parallel world story in the episode "Mirror, Mirror." That was the name of the episode where they go into a mirror world and meet a bearded Mr. Spock.

The following articles helped me to have a somewhat factual basis for this science fiction story. Blame me first for inaccuracies or insanities. I deserve it.

On the height of buildings:

Tallest Buildings in New York City, Skyscraper, List of Skyscrapers

On global time zones:

Wikipedia: Time Zone, List of Time Zones, Japan Standard Time, Calculating Local Time

On The Use Of Characters:

Finally, please feel free to use these characters and ideas in your own fanfictions. Do it in your head or in writing, whether you liked how I did the story or not. As I understand it, since it's a fanfiction, I own nothing within the story anyways. Of course, I haven't exactly consulted a lawyer about that. Don't depend on me for your legal advice!


	44. Pioneers Ch 1

Introduction:

When multiple worlds were created from technology found in a construction site, no one expected a result like this. Kazuki Yotsuga and his robot Zinv have once again prevented the collision of five worlds by creating one world out of the colliding worlds. In this new world, mankind is about to make its first attempts at space travel, a dream dear to Kazuki's heart.

Pioneers

Chapter 1:

Kazuki Yotsuga looked around Dr. Sanada's house, his home now. All the chores were done, so far as he knew. Everything was clean and in good order. His homework was done for once. All the work here was done, so he was free to have fun the rest of the afternoon.

The rest of the afternoon, Kazuki knew, was going to be taken up by a zero-gravity practice, but he knew he'd enjoy it. He'd be able to squeeze in just a few minutes of seeing Zinv, his giant robot and other self. Kazuki wasn't sure how he'd feel about weightlessness, but was fairly certain he'd survive.

The doorbell rang. Kent was always a few minutes early, which usually made Kazuki nervous. Kazuki could never understand how he always had so much time on his hands and could get ready so quickly. Kent and Dr. Warai were supposed to be instrumental in designing their spaceship, had legions of responsibilities, and work conscientiously. Yet they always were the first to arrive at any destination.

He let Kent Slade in. "Hello, Kent," he greeted him. It was odd; in one way, he had only known this man for a few days. In another, they had known each other for a long time, ever since Slade had married Mitsuki Rara's twin sister.

Kent effusively returned, "Hey, how's my favorite teen idol?"

Kazuki laughed nervously. How many times now had he called him that? "Kent, you know I never understand what you mean by that."

Kent grinned and waved an arm expansively. "Well, allow me to explain it to you. You see,"

Mitsuki Sanada interrupted him by entering from the dining room. "Kazuki, are you going to keep him waiting all day? Let the man sit down."

Kent's crafty expression stole onto his face. "Why thanks, Mitsuki. You'll want to hear this too. I was just about to explain: the reason I call him a teen idol is he's so popular with the-"

She replied hurriedly and irritatedly, "You and your weird nicknames for Kazuki! Don't fill his head with nonsense! Yayoi and I have a hard enough time trying to educate him as it is!"

Kazuki quickly changed the subject, "Where's Mitsuki, Slade?" He meant the one Slade married.

"Oh, Mitsuki's outside playing with D and Kumu," Slade said easily. His face took on an expression of panic. "No, wait, she's right in front of me!" He looked out a window. "No, there she is out there." He looked back at Mitsuki Sanada. "There she is in here again! Aaah, I'm going insane!"

Akane walked in from another room in the house and commented, "I can hardly believe we're trusting you to build our spaceship."

"Too many Mitsukis, can't keep them all straight," Slade mumbled with a huge smile on his face. He loved joking around almost as much as his advisor, Dr. Warai. Mitsuki Sanada just eyed him dully while Kazuki had no reaction at all.

"How many times have you told that joke, Slade?" Akane inquired.

"Not nearly enough," Slade insisted with a smile.

Yayoi also appeared in the hall. "Is that why your wife lets you call her Mits? You can't remember which is which otherwise?"

Slade folded his arms across his chest. "For the millionth time, I thought you were allowed to contract names like that in Japanese!"

Akane thought to herself that anything which helped to clarify which of the three Mitsukis was being referred to was helpful, but said nothing.

Yayoi smiled, "Don't worry about it. We know she likes the nickname."

Mitsuki Sanada said, "I don't think Kazuki likes his nickname. Isn't that right?"

Kazuki noted, "Hey, I think we'll all be late if we don't start going soon."

Yayoi, as well as all three Mitsukis, D, Akane, Kazuki, and Kent, finally managed to head in the direction of Dr. Rara's island laboratory, where Zinv resided and the training was to take place. The bodyguard trio of Ryla, Mena, and Alice kept a conspicuously low profile as they followed and guarded them.

When finally they all managed to get to the laboratory, Kazuki went immediately to see Zinv. The others accompanied him, to see Zinv as well as to see the other robots that had been completed and tested the previous week.

The hangar was an incredible and entrancing sight for anyone who had fought through the war between the Earth Defense Force and the RaRa Army. There rested robots ranging from Zinv to a small, human-made copy of Himc, to Core Robots, to a jewel-cannon robot sans its grey shoulder covers. All of them were side by side, allies instead of enemies.

D commented, "Just like us," expressing the general sentiment.

Sensing that Slade was about to deliver some terrible joke, Mitsuki Sanada moved towards him, hoping to somehow silence him.

"Boo!" Dr. Warai shouted behind the crowd, completely startling everyone, making Dr. Warai laugh and laugh. He had easily slipped in unseen while everyone else looked at the robots.

"We're not going to make it of the atmosphere, are we?" Akane asked wearily.

It was roughly at this juncture that Dr. Hayase arrived to shoo them into the anti-gravity room. Awaiting them were Dr. Rara and his wife Ayuko, Dr. Sanada, and Mrs. Nanjyoin.

The anti-gravity room had inside it a partition with walls made of glass as well as strange gray elements behind the glass. The same gray things were placed on the walls, ceiling, and floor of the partitioned room. These were the gravity generators.

There had been some talk of doing a conventional weightlessness simulation using a commercial jet and fancy maneuvering. This fell through due to the extreme expense of building an interplanetary spaceship, giant robots, and buying enough fuel to get it all to a distant planet. Instead, the decision had been made to test the gravity generators first on inanimate objects, and then on humans. These generators would maintain human-comfortable gravity on board the spaceship; here they were configured so as to counter Earth's gravitational field and produce weightlessness. Should the generators work properly, no one would have to experience zero gravity during the entire trip: this training was in case of mischance.

"Dear, these practical jokers have lowered my confidence," Akane told her husband, Dr. Sanada. "The tests of the gravity generators did go well?"

"Of course they did, dear," Dr. Sanada assured her. "We designed them directly off of the technology Zinv uses."

"And I'm not a practical joker: Dr. Warai is," Slade added with more indignation than he actually felt.

Dr. Hayase, as she had for several parallel universes now, ignored the buffoons around her. She sat at a console and quickly got the generators configured for the human testing.

There was a pleasant ring, and Ayuko pulled a cellphone out of her purse. She grimaced as a high-pitched squeak or screech emanated from the earpiece. Akane looked at Ayuko. The noise was probably just static, but it seemed familiar somehow. Ayuko saw that Akane was looking at her, so Ayuko strode briskly out the door.

"I guess she doesn't want to test it first," Dr. Sanada commented. He elbowed Dr. Rara good-humoredly. "I feel sorry for you, Rara, you have to pay all her cellphone bills."

"You're telling me," Dr. Rara muttered, lost in thought a moment. "She's on it all the time." He departed from his reverie and jousted back at Dr. Sanada, "You've got it worse, though. You still have two daughters to pay for!"

Kazuki moved towards the door. "I'll be with Zinv. Let me know when you're ready."

Dr. Hayase assured him, "We're ready now, Kazuki. I think the room is only big enough for about three at a time."

Slade grinned, gestured toward the partition's doorway, and told Kazuki, "Ladykillers first."

Dr. Warai snickered at that, while Mitsuki Sanada sighed and Yayoi shook her head.

"Uh, thanks," Kazuki said, made uneasy by this other oft-repeated nickname. "But, maybe Mrs. Nanjyoin would like to go first."

"Thank you," she told him. "I would be glad if you and D would assist me."

When D, Kazuki, and Mrs. Nanjyoin, were safely inside the partitioned room, Dr. Hayase carefully and slowly adjusted the fields until the Earth's gravity was nullified. The three of them began to float off the floor.

"That looks like fun," Mitsuki said to her husband. "Oh yeah," he agreed.

Dr. Sanada called to the weightless threesome, "Great job, everyone. Now, start moving around in there!"

Kazuki tried, but found he wasn't actually moving forward. His arms and legs and body moved fine, but he had no leverage to actually move forward. "Uh, how?" he asked.

Dr. Rara looked at Dr. Sanada. "You did remember to put the straps in so they could pull themselves along?" Dr. Rara asked.

"You forgot too, idiot!" Dr. Sanada shouted at him.

"We all forgot," Dr. Hayase said placatingly.

Dr. Warai called, "Try swimming motions, see if that works."

Kazuki tried, and decided, "Well, I guess it works, sort of. Do you need any help, Mrs. Nanjyoin?"

"No, thank you," she replied, "I prefer floating."

D twirled in the air. "I love this! Can we get one of these at home, Dad?" she asked excitedly.

Mitsuki Sanada began to laugh at the ridiculous sight of people floating and swimming and twirling above the floor. Ayuko finally reentered the room and wordlessly stood by Dr. Rara again.

Dr. Hayase now announced the test was coming to an end, and slowly turned down the gravity so that everyone returned slowly to earth.

Slade, the Mitsuki to whom he was married, and Mena ended up as the next group. Slade took to his environs with extreme happiness, literally bouncing off the walls.

"Kent, that looks dangerous," Mitsuki commented worriedly as he kicked off walls and ceilings and floors faster and faster.

"Why? It's not- Ow." He had just slammed himself into a corner by pushing himself backwards.

"Are you all right?" she asked in deep concern.

Mitsuki Sanada doubled over in laughter. "You should stick to physical comedy like that, Slade!" she gasped.

Dr. Warai chortled at him as well. "You've just invented a new sport! Human ping pong!"

Kent looked into the concerned eyes of Mitsuki and Mena. "I'm fine, thanks," he told them, "but if you could lend me some scraps of dignity I'd be grateful."

Ryla called to them good-humoredly, "Scrape him off the wall already! We're all waiting our turn!"

Dr. Hayase shook her head and looked resolutely at the control console.


	45. Briefing

**Briefing on Voyageur Extrasolar Vessel Project**

This document is for the eyes of only the most trusted personnel. Contents may be divulged only on a need-to-know basis. This document and all associated information is the intellectual property of the Interstellar Trust. Improper acquisition of this document or any of its contents may result in civil or criminal penalties.

**History:**

The final merger of worlds complete, Dr. Rara and Mrs. Nanjyoin's Nanjyo Foundation created the Interstellar Trust as the organization concerned with all fundraising, contracting, and administration associated with the effort to create the vessel, and administer it once constructed. Partnership with various governments was considered but dealbreakers soon presented themselves. Dealbreakers ranged from disputes over transferring artifact technology to certain governments, to allegations by the governments that Trust plans to equip the vessel with weapons amounted to militarizating space.

Fundraising was carried out through various community outreaches, grassroots organizations, and publicity firms. Assembled funds finally met budgetary needs. Contracts were awarded, and production begun.

Some difficulties were encountered, due to the absence of artifact technology in this world. This was partially rectified by many people retaining memories of artifact technologies from assimilated universes. Consequently, the entire world attained a higher technological level, making construction of the vessel and associated mecha much easier.

Control systems proved to be an unanticipated but fiercely contentious part of the design. All parties involved experienced fierce partisanship over who should be leader of the organization. Compromise was finally reached. Dr. Rara and Mrs. Nanjyoin invested equal amounts of money in the Interstellar Trust. An Executive Committee was formed as the shipboard leaders of the expedition. Once the vessel is underway, the Executive Committee will have final authority, due to a communications lag with Earth even within the solar system.

Final decisions have been made on: Crewmember selection, television/newspaper/radio/weblog/podcast interviews, product licensing and endorsements, and book contracts. No further requests or appeals will be heard.

**Destination**

Recently discovered Earthlike planet approximately 60 light years from Earth. Atmosphere presumed to be thin or otherwise unable to support human life, diameter is slightly smaller than Earth, gravity estimated to be 90 of Earth's. Planet has been named Loki and star Imanuel by expedition.

**Objectives**

Mission objectives are to survey this planet and learn everything there is to know about it.

To this end, direct observations from the vessel will be supplemented by exploratory mecha as well as humans, robotic probes, and satellites.

**Duration**

One month will be spent in orbit of Loki.

**Economics**

The expensive fuel necessary for the faster than light travel is necessary in large quantities, as a safety margin to ensure the ship can return to Earth even with the loss of some fuel. The expense of the fuel, as well as the astronomical costs involved in constructing the vessel and associated mecha and shuttles, means that any return on the investment in the project is out of the question.

**Proposals for Future Missions:**

The next planned mission is to return to the planet to collect data robotic probes will have retrieved during interim. Data cannot be transmitted to Earth directly due to extreme distances involved. The vessel will therefore return on the next mission to retrieve all data stored on probes.

Long range proposals include possible colonization by constructing a human-habitable structure upon the planet. Terraforming may be possible, especially if technological advances of artifact weather-controlling robot could be perfected in modern human technology. Said robot is now nonexistent and few of its operational principles are known; even if they were, far more information on biology and physics needs to be accumulated.

**Design Committee:**

Co-chairs: Dr. Ken Sanada and Dr. Hiroshi Rara

Artifact Technology Consultant: Dee Sanada

Spacecraft Design Subcommittee Chair: Dr. Ken Warai

Subcommittee Members:  
Kent Slade  
Akane Sanada  
Ayuko Rara

Atmospheric Subcraft Subcommittee Design Chair: Dr. Choi Hae-rim

Subcommittee Members:  
Isaac Badiru  
Dr. Kaoru Hayase  
Dr. Hiroshi Rara

Other Design Committee Members:  
Dr. Kaoru Hayase  
Akane Sanada  
Ayuko Rara  
Kent Slade  
Isaac Badiru

**Executive Committee**

Executive Committee members are authorized to give orders to all non-committee personnel. Executive Committee members are the only persons authorized to fully utilize key vessel subsystems, including: life support, engines, weapons, shields, communications. Other personnel may access only the specific controls necessary to perform their duties. Committee members may only access one subsystem at a time, and exercise complete control over that subsystem while they are logged into it. A delay was built into the system so that any committee member wishing to switch from one subsystem to another must wait several minutes without access to any subsystem at all.

Revocation of Executive Committee member status may only be accomplished by a supermajority of viable and competent Executive Committee members, with a quorum of ten members. Authorization of votes in favor of revocation are accomplished by accessing a specific computer located in a secure room within the vessel. To prevent fraud, only two of the votes may be cast from terminals outside the secure room.

Co-Chairs: Dr. Hiroshi Rara and Dr. Ken Sanada

Fitzgerald, Mena  
Hayase, Kaoru  
Nanjyoin, Reika  
Phoenix, Ryla  
Rara, Ayuko  
Rara, Mitsuki  
Sanada, Akane  
Sanada, D  
Sanada, Mitsuki  
Schwael, Yayoi  
Sharome, Alice  
Slade, Kent  
Slade, Mitsuki  
Warai, Ken  
Yotsuga, Kazuki

**Crew Members**

Crew members were selected through a process that matched rigorous screening with the need for Executive Committee members to attend to other details of the project. A contract with a large human resources firm was secured, which then handled the job posting and background screening. The best candidates were referred to the Executive Committee. All the members of the committee read the resumes, and a minimum of two members were required to be present at each interview.

In a combination of coincidence and intention, some of the crew members were part of the Earth Defense Force in other universes, others were part of the RaRa Army in other universes, and other crewpersons weren't affiliated with either army.

al-Rashid, Habib  
Boraski, Valentine  
Chevalier, Christina  
Dostoyevsky, Vladimir  
Duran, Ali  
Feldbaumer, Karl  
Finnegan, Thomas  
Fitzgerald, Mena  
Garcia, Francisco  
Garcia, Maria  
Gottlieb, Meier  
Gyo, Jeong  
Hayase, Kaoru  
Hightower, Dexter  
Kai, Cheng  
Karapetof, Peter  
Lavoisier, Bernard  
Le, Khai  
LeGrone, Josephine  
Lopez, Enrique  
Luchini, Luigi  
McDuff, Malcolm  
McDougal, Montgomery  
Maloney, Patricia  
Manning, James  
Millicent, Penelope  
Miyasaki, Kiyoshi  
Muhammad, Karim  
Nanjyoin, Reika  
Negroponte, Julio  
Ngombe, Charles  
Nguyen, Hai  
Park, Rebecca  
Phoenix, Ryla  
Rara, Ayuko  
Rara, Hiroshi  
Rara, Mitsuki  
Rivera, Isabel  
Sadasivam, Asok  
Sahakian, Gupta  
Sakai, Atsutshi  
Sanada, Akane  
Sanada, Dee  
Sanada, Ken  
Sanada, Mitsuki  
Schwael, Yayoi  
Sharome, Alice  
Sherwood, Henry  
Slade, Kent  
Slade, Mitsuki  
Tarukane, Shinji  
Tatapolous, Alexandria  
Tircuit, Ronald  
Vastag, Diana  
Warai, Ken  
Wasylczak, Carl  
Wierzbowski, Nicholas  
Wong, Cao  
Xiong, Hu  
Yotsuga, Kazuki  
Zappacosta, Giovanni

**Cargo Manifest**  
Foodstuffs sufficient for twice planned mission length  
2 shuttlecraft  
Ascent rockets & heat shields for all combat mecha  
Robotic rovers, flying probes, satellites  
Descent modules for exploratory mecha  
Rock sample delivery unit  
Planetary surface habitat

**Vessel Description**

Naming Process:

Many names were suggested for the name of the interstellar vessel. Heads of state, the rich and famous, and schoolchildren all clamored to name the vessel after a spouse, a friend, and even a toy poodle. All this pressure was as nothing compared to the pressure inside the group to use one of the names that certain Executive Committee members had suggested.

Several months into the process, Dr. Warai found the word "voyageur" amongst documents from a conference Dr. Sanada had attended in France. Group consensus was eventually formed around this name, and the vessel was officially christened "Voyageur."

Armaments:

Armaments were secured for the vessel despite international pressure and doubts among some in the Interstellar Trust that there would be any need for their use. Growing pressure caused the Design Committee to unanimously pass a resolution. Resolution stated that all members, from the beginning, agreed to include weapons on vessel, and refused to deviate from that design requirement. Dr. Sanada would later defend the decision publicly by saying, "We'd rather have weapons and never use them, than not have them when we need them."

The vessel has been equipped with laser weapons based on artifact technology. Weapons were selected based on their efficiency and because they do not require ammunition.

Combat mecha are stored and maintained within a hangar suitable for vacuum and atmosphere deployment. Mecha weapons are stored within an armored munitions compartment adjacent to mecha hangar.

The vessel is enclosed in heavy combat armor. Radiation protection is provided both by layers of lead sandwiched between armor plating and by an energy shield developed from Zinv and other artifact technology. Shield can be configured to block and even destroy physical objects, as well as halt many radiation and energy pulses.

Engine:

The main engine is based off of some of Zinv's most advanced technology, which allows it to travel between dimensions. Theoretically, these transitions take no time to occur, although Zinv has been observed to be absent from a universe for several seconds before returning. While the main engine is in use, the ship does not travel anywhere in space: it simply leaves the dimension at one location and reenters at another. The vessel can therefore travel any distance on the same load of fuel, and do so in an instant.

The main limitation on the vessel's range is the expense and volume of fuel necessary for even a single transition between dimensions. A short distance to traverse requires the same great amount of fuel as a long distance. The main engine is therefore used only for interstellar travel. For most short-distance applications, thrusters and a reaction control system (RCS) based upon artifact technology will be employed.

**Associated Mecha**

All combat mecha on the expedition have been outfitted with thrusters to allow for maneuverability in the vacuum of space. Attempts using conventional rockets were abandoned in favor of Dr. Hayase's concept of directly channeling energy from the robot's power generation systems. This concept was incorporated into every robot except the exploratory mecha, which are not equipped to operate in space's vacuum, and Zinv, who has been equipped with an artifact-based thruster backpack similar to that used by modern astronauts and the RCS on the vessel itself.

In addition, all combat mecha have been certified for operation in outer space. The exploratory mecha are for planetside operation, and are not capable of operation in space.

The mecha are all intended for planetary exploration. Combat mecha can retrieve from ship's stores heat shields for planetary atmosphere entry and ascent rockets to return to outer space. Exploratory mecha are delivered to planetary surface via modules which, upon landing, will be reassembled into ascent stages for exploratory mecha as well as geological surveying and drilling equipment.

Combat mecha have access to the armored munitions storage compartment adjacent to the hangar. All of the weapons for Zinv, Himc, and Jewel-Cannon are part of the mechas' bodies. Their weapons require no ammunition. Core Robots retrieve from munitions storage a combination submachine gun and grenade launcher. Said weapon was selected for compactness, high amount of damage, and cost-effectiveness in light of budget limitations. All weapons are rated for vacuum, thin- and normal-atmosphere combat.

Construction, technological, and budgetary constraints have impacted mecha control systems. All mecha utilize standard Life Sympathy controls, information from Dee Sanada ensuring that limitations to male pilots were not applied. Much of the advanced technology available to male pilots on artifact weapons, however, cannot be replicated even by modern artifact-enhanced human industry. Zinv is therefore the only mecha with nano-fiber self-healing system and significant speed increases. All other mecha produce vestigial light-hawk wings, dimmer than standard wings. Slight speed increases under vestigial wings have been measured but are considered negligible.

**Combat Mecha:**

Zinv:  
Designated Pilot: Yotsuga, Kazuki

The only robot on this expedition that was originally found in the artifact. Zinv is therefore the only robot on the expedition containing the artifact technology allowing for full light-hawk wings, nano-fiber self-healing system, and mini-black hole generation. Zinv's standard gravity crushing and gravitational shell weapons are also intact.

Zinv is theoretically pilotable by any qualified pilot, but it is generally considered most efficient and safest to allow only Kazuki Yotsuga to pilot Zinv.

Himc:  
Designated Pilot: None  
Recommended Pilots: Mitsuki, Rara  
Mitsuki, Sanada  
Mitsuki, Slade  
Slade, Kent  
Rara, Ayuko

A human-built copy of the original Himc, sans golden sheath and associated tentacles. One tentacle remains, as well as medium-range beam and high-energy bullet, though all at far lower power levels than Himc from artifact. Himc size also has been reduced by 15 for economy and greater maneuverability. Incorporated into expedition over objections by all Mitsukis, Yayoi Schwael, Dee Sanada, and even Kent Slade. Himc retained due to expressed need for another heavy combat robot to round out force.

Selection of a designated pilot proved difficult. While current model does not have the original's tendency to reject pilots, no one wished to pilot it. The three Mitsukis hold the highest known Life Sympathy values in it but adamantly opposed piloting it, preferring to hold out for Core Robots. Slade has expressed disappointment in this incarnation of the robot, or in his words, "...my poor little uberweapon is stripped bare." The robot was therefore made available to any pilot, should any pilot be convinced to actually use it.

Core Robots:

All the Core Robots on the expedition had to be remade completely from scratch, as they no longer existed after the worlds were merged. The new Core Robots have thrusters built into their bodies, and are slightly smaller than previous versions, for greater maneuverability and reduced cost of manufacturing. Experience and enhanced human technology has allowed for greater power than previous versions.

Core Robot Unit 1:  
Designated Pilot: Schwael, Yayoi  
Primary Coloration: White

Core Robot Unit 2:  
Designated Pilot: Sanada, Mitsuki  
Primary Coloration: Red

Core Robot Unit 3:  
Designated Pilot: Sanada, Dee  
Primary Coloration: Blue

Core Robot Unit 4:  
Designated Pilot: Rara, Mitsuki  
Primary Coloration: Green

Core Robot Unit 5:  
Designated Pilot: Hayase, Kaoru  
Primary Coloration: Black

Core Robot Unit 6:  
Designated Pilot: Slade, Mitsuki  
Primary Coloration: Purple

Jewel-Cannon:  
Designated Pilots (Simultaneous): Ryla Phoenix, Mena Fitzgerald, Alice Sharome

It was decided not to waste the simultaneous-piloting training of these three pilots. This robot, one of the few to require simultaneous piloting, was therefore constructed. Maneuverability generally on par with Core Robots. Armament consists of three laser cannons similar to standard RaRa Army Jewel-Cannon robots. This model is slightly smaller than standard RaRa Army type for greater maneuverability in space and reduced monetary cost. Power gains similar to those of new Core Robots have been acheived with enhanced circuitry.

**Exploratory Mecha:**

All five exploratory mecha are for planetary surface use only. They are constructed to allow pilots to withstand minimal-atmospheric conditions indefinitely, but survival time in vacuum is rated at nil. For safety purposes, pilots will wear spacesuits during mecha operation. These robots possess neither armor nor weapons and are designed with reliability and speed in mind. They are three meters (approx. nine feet) tall and follow humanoid design principles. Life Sympathy utilized for control of mecha. Pilots are located in small torso cockpit in sitting position.

Alpha Team:  
Objective: Explore designated plains for feasibility of establishing human settlement

Ichi:  
Designated Pilot: Tarukane, Shinji

Ni:  
Designated Pilot: Dostoyevsky, Vladimir

Beta Team:  
Objective: Investigate geology of cliffs near human settlement

San:  
Designated Pilot: Maloney, Patricia

Shi:  
Designated Pilot: Rivera, Isabel

Go:  
Designated Pilot: Chevalier, Christina

Backup Pilots:

Should any pilot be unable to fulfill their duties, or have logged 20 or more hours piloting time in two days, the backup pilot will temporarily replace the designated pilot. Backup pilots and full pilots will reside in temporary habitat when planetside to facilitate quick pilot changes.

Karapetof, Peter  
LeGrone, Josephine  
Duran, Ali  
Tatapolous, Alexandria  
Vastag, Diana


	46. Pioneers Ch 2

Chapter 2:

"What do you mean, the weather isn't going to hold?" Dr. Rara demanded over the phone of the crew at the launch site. "It has to hold! Fine, just in case, book every hotel in the area so we can try again tomorrow- Surely there's one room left!"

Of course, there was not. Every hotel room, and many other accommodations, were occupied by people who wished to see the launch in person.

Dr. Rara continued, "Look, find something in the area!"

* * *

Kazuki Yotsuga thought he heard someone calling his name, but he was so tired that he couldn't be sure. He just needed to rest a little bit longer.

"Kazuki, you'd better wake up fast!" D urgently tapped the slumbering Kazuki on his shoulder. "She's really serious today!" Seeing this had no effect, D decided she'd have to shake him awake. It was better than what Mitsuki Sanada would do if she caught him sleeping in this morning.

* * *

Kent Slade was being grateful for the beauty of creation, standing around idly in the Sanada's yard. His wife had already returned home to make sure everything was ready there, and he was going there himself in a moment. Slade suspected that the tranquility of the morning would not last; he seemed to hear his cousin-in-law, in the Sanada house, shouting something about waking up. Slade shook his head. Ladykiller or not, it looked like today was going to be a rough day for Kazuki. He returned to surveying nature's wonders, but was interrupted by Kumu running up to him and whimpering.

"Surely someone has fed you?" he inquired of her.

D walked up behind him. "We ran out of dog food. All the rest of it we put on the spaceship yesterday. I asked Mitsuki if Kumu could have some of our breakfast, but she didn't want to." She smiled awkwardly.

"Are human breakfasts healthy for dogs?" Kent wasn't too certain about that.

* * *

Kazuki had hurriedly shut himself into the bathroom in an attempt to hide, but he could hear Mitsuki Sanada now shouting, "Get ready in five minutes, Kazuki! There's too much work to do for your idling!"

"But Mitsuki," Kazuki replied through the door, "this is a great day! Aren't you happy?"

Her sigh must've been heavy to hear it through the door. "I am happy, Kazuki," she said sincerely. "And if you don't do your share of the work," she continued with equal sincerity, "I'm going to be angry." She calmly moved away to her next task.

Kazuki wasn't quite certain that he could believe she was happy when she was shouting, but just now she had actually sounded pleased. Kazuki and Zinv were definitely happy. Today was the day they were going to outer space!

* * *

Mitsuki Rara looked in the room she and Mitsuki Sanada shared. "Mitsuki, you're putting both our clothes in the same suitcases," she pointed out mildly.

"If you had packed earlier I wouldn't have to pack for you!" Mitsuki Sanada charged.

"I had already packed for both of us. Don't you remember?"

Mitsuki Sanada gripped the suitcase lid until her knuckles turned white, then said calmly, "Thank you."

* * *

Mrs. Nanjyoin calmly walked along the walkway connecting Yayoi's house to the Sanada household. Yayoi had only just caught sight of her grandmother doing this, and became immensely worried.

"Grandmother!" she called from the door on her side.

With perfect balance, Mrs. Nanjyoin turned her head and answered, "Don't worry, Yayoi. I'm perfectly fine here. Though I wish for your sake you added some banisters. I worry about you crossing over this in the dark every morning."

"But grandmother, why are you even going over there?" Yayoi was confused.

"Just a few last-minute details to confirm with Dr. Sanada," Mrs. Nanjyoin said unconcernedly as she continued on her way.

"That door goes into Kazuki's room," Yayoi said with trepidation.

"Everyone goes through there, dear," Mrs. Nanjyoin put her hand to her mouth, as though something amused her. "It's like a public highway. Or a shortcut."

Yayoi watched with horror as Mrs. Nanjyoin opened the door to Kazuki's room.

Kazuki turned his head and bowed to greet Mrs. Nanjyoin. He was entirely unsurprised. "Hello. I guess my room really is a good shortcut, isn't it."

Mrs. Nanjyoin bowed back. "I believe it is my granddaughter's favorite shortcut."

* * *

Akane looked through the clothes her husband had packed. Surprisingly, he seemed to be doing fairly well. The clothes were arranged unorthodoxly and somewhat messily, but at least they were all present. That was what she thought until she realized he had not packed any socks.

Dr. Sanada said appeasingly, "I won't need socks in space, Akane! I'll just wear sandals!"

Akane folded her arms, not prepared to concede an inch. "Ken, you can't really mean you'd do that on the ship! What if your feet get cold! You'll want socks with your sandals!"

"Maybe I could just wear some shoes without socks. That'd work, wouldn't it?" He looked inquisitively at her, but she was unmoved.

He spread his arms. "Where would mankind be if we never tried anything new? We wouldn't even be going out into space at all if it weren't for trying new things! That's why I'm risking the temperature of my feet to the vagaries of conditioned spacecraft air! I'll boldly explore the universe without socks!"

The phone rang, and he said, "Oh, excuse me," and ran to answer it. He found himself listening as an excited fan of the expedition wished him luck. "Why, thank you!" Dr. Sanada said happily.

Akane simply stuffed several pairs of socks in Ken's suitcases and closed them.

* * *

Slade was quite content. It looked like they were going to be quite on time, thanks to thorough planning and foresight. He had even anticipated that they'd forget something, and so had packed several days earlier. Now they were fairly sure everything was collected, nothing forgotten. It felt good to be prepared-

"Ms. Mitsuki!" Mena ran through the hall and wailed.

Slade poked his head out and looked towards the cry of distress. Mena had now found his wife and was saying, "I forgot something and it must be here, I've looked everywhere else!"

"What did you forget?" Mitsuki asked in deep concern.

"I don't remember now, that's the worst part!" Mena wailed.

"Not a good thing," Slade muttered to himself.

* * *

"Ow!" Kazuki yelled after Kumu knocked him down the stairs and began to tear into his arm. D came running. "Kumu, you can't eat Kazuki! Let him go!"

Kumu was holding on and gnawing. It was difficult to tell whether hunger or hatred had driven her to desperation.

* * *

"Maybe you forgot a toothbrush?" Slade asked Mena, drumming his fingers on a nearby desk.

"No," she sniffed, miserable.

"Your purse?" Mitsuki suggested. Mena shook her head.

"Pocketknife?" Slade offered, just to keep ideas flowing.

* * *

D had finally pried Kumu off of Kazuki. She and Akane went to put Kumu in a traveling cage. Kazuki picked himself and the suitcases off of the stairs. He grunted slightly at the ache caused by Kumu.

"Kazuki, have you gotten those suitcases downstairs?" Mitsuki Sanada called.

"I almost had it done when Kumu bit me!" Kazuki yelled back in some heat.

"You lived every other time she bit you. I don't have time to mother you," she replied.

Kazuki put the suitcases near the door and suddenly discovered Yayoi was examining his injury. "I think this needs immediate attention," she said, brushing her hand along his arm.

"Uh..." Kazuki mumbled.

Yayoi continued reasonably, "There's no need to bother the others. We'll handle it alone." She smiled winningly at him.

"Uh..." Kazuki mumbled.

* * *

Ayuko scolded a member of her entourage. "There are wrinkles in all of these dresses. I expect better from my employees. Unpack all of the cases and refold them."

"All 29 cases, ma'am?" another of her assistants inquired. Ayuko nodded, and they left the room to get it done.

"We're only going to be gone a month, and we don't have that much room on the spaceship," Dr. Rara grumbled, entering the room and looking for something in desk drawers. "We can't take 29 pieces of luggage."

"And why not?" she inquired archly.

* * *

"Are you sure it isn't at your place, Mena?" Slade inquired. Where did she live anyways? He couldn't remember right now. Fine details of this merged world tended to evade him when he was annoyed.

"I looked everywhere there," Mena shook her head, and then cried out "Oh!" and rushed out of the room.

"Mena!" Mitsuki called after her.

"I found it!" Mena exclaimed. "My cellphone, I left it here by the door yesterday!"

Mitsuki was delighted. "That's wonderful!"

He wasn't sure how, but Slade clenched his teeth instead of saying finding it earlier would've been far more wonderful.

Slade decided he deserved this for thinking he could control life. Murphy had his way, despite all his carefully laid plans. There was no point to obsessing and packing ahead of time the way he had done. Maybe next time he'd just throw caution to the wind and pack the day of a journey. Not only were these realizations making Slade uncomfortable, there was another. He was beginning to think that there was some posession of his that even his meticulous planning had missed. But what could it be?

* * *

Mitsuki Sanada wondered what the troublemaker was up to now. She hadn't heard his footsteps on the stairs for some time now. "Kazuki, have you gotten those suitcases downstairs yet?" she yelled across the house.

Yayoi unexpectedly appeared in response. "I took them down for him. He really shouldn't be doing anything with that arm."

Mitsuki Sanada stared at her. "Kumu can't possibly bite that badly." Yayoi just shrugged. "Yayoi, you aren't coddling him, are you?"

"I'm simply concerned with his welfare," Yayoi said innocently.

Mitsuki matched her tone. "Then you can tell me where he is; I need his help with something else."

Yayoi now looked embarrassed. "I'm not sure, but he said he had something to do in his room."

* * *

Kazuki looked around his room. "Right," he said to himself. "I actually didn't forget anything. Maybe I'm getting better at tidiness."

Ryla opened the walkway door to his room and stepped in. She was holding something behind her back.

"Ryla?" Kazuki had thought he'd gotten used to a whole army of people coming through that door, but he was wrong.

From behind her back, Ryla produced a large bouquet of red roses and presented them to Kazuki.

"Ryla, what, er, um, but," Kazuki began to blush.

"No!" she nearly shouted, but remembered to whisper in time. She removed one hand from the bouquet to clap it to her head in disgust. "Just take it and look at the card!"

With a nervous noise in the back of his throat, Kazuki did so and examined the card, which read, "To Mitsuki Rara, From Kazuki, For you on this launch day."

"Uhhh, thanks but, uuhhh," Kazuki tried to think of what to do.

"It's not from me!" Ryla insisted, clapping both hands to her head.

"Yeah, I get that now," Kazuki reassured her.

Ryla pointed to the door into the rest of the Sanada house. "So go give them to her!"

Kazuki cast a nervous glance at the closed door. "But the others will get mad if they see me do that!"

"You're a man, aren't you?" Ryla was getting aggravated.

Kazuki turned an aggrieved look on her. "Yeah, a man who's going to be sharing close quarters with the others for a month!"

Ryla lowered her hands from her head. "I suppose you're right." She reached out to take back the bouquet, and Kazuki extended it to her.

Mitsuki Sanada opened the door. "Kazuki, could you please help me with something?" She started at the unexpected sight of Ryla in the room, then her eyes narrowed as Kazuki quickly turned around, keeping himself blocking her line of sight to Ryla. What might they be up to now?

Her suspicion only increased as Kazuki did not put up his hands in his usual surrendering posture, but kept them behind his back. "Sure, Mitsuki, I'd be glad to. Just another few minutes, OK?"

D passed in the hallway. "Kazuki, haven't you got enough girlfriends already?"

"No D, it's not like that!" Kazuki, Mitsuki, and Ryla proclaimed immediately.

"That's a relief," D sighed.

Mitsuki Sanada turned to face her. "Why?"

D told her, "Just because it is. I'd better finish packing." She hurried off down the hall.

Mitsuki Sanada spun around. She had only sensed, not seen, Kazuki furtively completing the bouquet pass to Ryla, and Ryla hiding it behind her back. Mitsuki Sanada still knew something was being hidden from her. "Kazuki, please just come now." She smiled cleverly.

"Of course, Mitsuki," Kazuki's face alit with a similar pleasure, born of savage cunning. He walked past her, into the hallway, his hands entirely free. Mitsuki Sanada, bewildered, looked around the room. She decided it probably wasn't a very interesting secret anyway. She nodded to Ryla and said to Kazuki, "Come on."

* * *

As soon as he was done helping Mitsuki Sanada, Kazuki made a quick and furtive call. He needed a problem tidily disposed of.

* * *

Shiozaki and Izawa watched carefully from their hiding place, hoping they wouldn't be seen. They wanted to see Mitsuki Sanada at least once before she left them for a month. If possible, they even wanted to say their goodbyes in person.

They watched as Alice leaned further out of window in the room Mitsuki Rara and Mitsuki Sanada shared in the Sanada house. "Hurry," Alice called to Ryla below her, "she'll be back any minute."

Ryla was on the ground below. She stood on her tiptoes, but the bouquet was still far out of reach of Alice's outstretched hands. "This isn't working," she told Alice, "I'll just come in through Kazuki's room again."

The plan was to get the bouquet inside the room unseen somehow so everyone, even Mitsuki Rara, would think Kazuki gave them to her secretly.

"Wait," said Alice as she leaned out further.

"Alice, not too far or-" Ryla began.

Alice barely strangled her cry of alarm as she lost her balance and nearly tipped out the window. She only barely managed to stay inside the room and work her way back to a position of safety. "Have Kazuki toss it up here, so Ms. Mitsuki can catch it," Alice suggested before she had caught her breath.

"He's not going to do it," Ryla grumbled. "I'll toss them to you myself."

They tried, and tried again, but a bouquet can be a rather ungainly thing to toss, or at least to catch.

"What are you doing?" Mitsuki Rara asked Alice. She had entered unheard as Alice was trying and failing for a third time to catch the bouquet.

"Oh, Ms. Mitsuki, hello, I didn't hear you come in," Alice was flustered.

"I thought I heard some bumping up here. Are you all right?" Mitsuki Rara stared at her friend in concern.

"I'm just fine!" Alice chirped nervously. "Why don't I, brush your hair!" Anything to get Ms. Mitsuki's mind and attention off of windows and flowers she may or may not have seen flying past.

Mitsuki Rara laughed. "You did just a few hours ago!"

"I'd like to do it again!" Alice continued in quiet desperation.

"All right," she agreed. "Don't let me make you delay your packing, Alice. Do you need any help with it?"

"You're so considerate," Alice complimented her sincerely as she found a brush and began to work, "but I'm fine, really." About half a minute after Alice began brushing, the bouquet sailed through the window and landed on the floor of the room with a rustle.

Mitsuki Rara turned and looked at it, querying, "Did someone just throw that through the window?" Bemused, she picked it up and looked out the window, but Ryla had already run away and was nowhere in sight.

Alice squealed, "Oooh, see who it's from, see who it's from!"

Mitsuki Rara read the card silently and then said aloud, as color flamed her cheeks, "From Kazuki."

Alice's celebratory squeal was stilled as Mitsuki Sanada appeared in the doorway and said in a low voice, "What?"

* * *

D found Kazuki talking to Dr. Sanada. They looked inquiringly at her as she stared at Kazuki and said, "You're in floral trouble."

"I thought you'd given up cryptic utterances, D," Dr. Sanada examined her.

Kazuki blanched. "Oh no. I didn't even order those flowers. I thought Ryla understood-"

Mitsuki Sanada stormed into the room. "How could you not have ordered them? They have your name on them!" she accused him.

Kazuki heard a truck driving up and cried out with relief, "It's here!" and ran towards the front door.

"Where do you think you're going!" Mitsuki Sanada followed him. D and Dr. Sanada did as well. The four were caught by surprise, hearing a muffled curse and a thump and then two pairs of feet running up to their door. The doorbell rang several times in rapid succession, simultaneous with a pounding at the door.

Kazuki opened the door and quickly shut it again. "Kazuki!" two voices plead with him from outside.

Dr. Sanada reached past Kazuki and opened the door to find Shiozaki and Izawa on the doorstep. Between the two of them, they clutched three bouquets of red roses. He quickly read the cards.

"Please, we want to see-" Shiozaki began

Dr. Sanada bellowed, "Why thank you, gentlemen!" He scooped up the roses in one motion, gave them both a tip in another, and closed the door. "Look at this! Kazuki's gone and gotten us all roses! Well, for you all, I hope you didn't get red roses for me!" He laughed.

D clapped her hands. "How sweet of you, Kazuki!"

Mitsuki Sanada stopped dead and blushed, in embarrassment and pleasure and jealousy of the others' bouquets. "Then," she paused, and finally managed, "Why, thank you, Kazuki."

Kazuki even had the sense not to sigh in relief. Now all he needed to do was find Yayoi and present her with the remaining bouquet, and the damage would be controlled. Apparently he was getting better at disposing tidily of his problems.

* * *

On the doorstep, Shiozaki and Izawa stood in shock. The floral delivery man they had just forcibly taken the flowers from rose up from his prone position behind them. "Get in the truck," he growled, reclaiming his rightful tips out of their hands.

* * *

It was when they had gotten a third of the way to the launch site that Kent Slade remembered what he had forgotten. Wasn't that one of Murphy's Laws?

"I forgot my PDA," Slade groaned.

"Your what?" Mena asked.

"My personal digital assistant," Slade moaned. "Look, I'll go back and get it, you two go on ahead."

As he went back, he overheard something coming from the open window of a passing floral truck, "But you two were so helpful making deliveries at the Sanada house," said a sarcastic male voice, "I want you two to make all the deliveries today!" Then the truck was gone, and all he could hear was two teenage voices bleating, "Please no!!!" as it passed out of sight.

Slade decided that was just plain weird and continued on his way.

* * *

Mrs. Nanjyoin took a cellphone call as she, Ryla, Alice, and the Sanada household finally arrived at the launch site. She considerately stepped some distance away. Ayuko, Dr. Warai and Dr. Hayase were waiting for them by the administrative building, as were Alice and the third Mitsuki.

Kent Slade showed up three minutes later. Dr. Warai smirked at him.

"Wipe that smug smile of a bachelor off your face, Dr. Warai," Slade growled. Dr. Warai just pointed and laughed at Slade.

"Why is he laughing?" Mitsuki asked him.

"Just ignore him, dear," Kent muttered.

To get through to the launch site, they had needed to proceed through a tight cordon of security. The private guards had managed very effectively to keep people well clear of the launch site, although immediately outside their barricades, tents had sprung up. Some people were very dedicated to seeing this unprecedented triumph of mankind. The launch today was the first step in leaving the solar system.

D noticed the wind begin to pick up and looked up at the sky. It had been overcast before, and now looked very gloomy. "I think it might rain," she commented.

Kent was using his PDA, and was looking at weather reports and the latest schedules and details from the launch site. "No kidding; it's a fairly big storm, from all the indications. I don't think we can launch today."

D's face fell. "We can't?"

Mrs. Nanjyoin, the call concluded, returned to the group. "Evidently, our accommodations for the night are here. I suppose we shall simply have to consider this field as a campground."

"We're sleeping on a field in the rain?" Dr. Hayase was astonished.

"Without tents," Kent said dully.

"Hey, I think you just drove the final peg into this situation!" Dr. Warai made a bizarre attempt at a pun, but even this was halfhearted.

"Don't be silly, I bet they'll let us sleep just one night in this building," D, indicated the administrative building.

Yayoi pointed to a dilapidated building some distance away, "Or we could check into that hot springs resort over there."

"It looks haunted!" Alice whimpered.

Ryla shook her head. "I knew we shouldn't have started telling summer ghost stories on the way here."

Dr. Sanada squinted at the building. "I don't think that's even a hot springs resort; there probably aren't any hot springs around here. Anyway, it looks more like a tool shed."

Ayuko shrugged. "I'll just go back to the mansion."

"Mother," Mitsuki Rara remonstrated, "you'll just have to come back tomorrow. What if there were some sort of traffic jam or difficulty so you couldn't get back?"

Dr. Warai said under his breath, "That would be a problem?" No one heard him, but many were doubtless thinking similar thoughts.

Ayuko surveyed them all calmly. "I'm sure you'd wait for me."

Akane glared at her, "Then we'd be inconvenienced. Just stay here, will you?"

"Of course I will. I wouldn't want to inconvenience my dear sister," Ayuko smiled at Akane with sickly sweetness.

Dr. Rara, looking harried, popped out of the administrative building. "I'm very sorry everyone, but, you see those clouds. We're going to postpone the launch until tomorrow." He looked at Kazuki. "I'm very sorry."

Kazuki held out a hand awkwardly. "It's not your fault; thanks for doing your best. We should be able to go tomorrow. It'll be all right."

"Tomorrow?" Mitsuki Sanada muttered, her face contorting.


	47. Pioneers Ch 3

Chapter 3:

Somehow, the interplanetary explorers made it through that first night of stormy weather in dubious accomodations. When the morning came, the sky was light and clear, and not a cloud was visible for miles around.

It was a time for many goodbyes. Kazuki bid goodbye to Shiozaki and Izawa. They managed to seriously say goodbye to him for nearly half a minute before remembering to look for Mitsuki Sanada, who for some reason was nowhere to be seen at the moment. To change the subject, Kazuki asked why they had ended up with the flowers on the day previous. In response, they shuddered. There was an evident need for yet another subject change.

Kent Slade bid goodbye to his family. It was a sad parting, and yet not unhopeful. They had learned how to carry on with life when they thought he had died in the parallel world exploration. Now that pain could be used again in this situation.

There were many more goodbyes bidden by many people. Slade and Dr. Warai said goodbye to Narayanan and Naoko Yoshi. Yoshi had designed the shuttles used by the spacecraft, but had steadfastly refused to take a berth on the ship, preferring to stay on only one planet. Dr. Rara and Slade said goodbye to Stetson, Hino, and Takei, faithful security guards of the launch complex. Slade had first met them when they arrested him and took him to the RaRa Army.

Kazuki looked out over the large crush of onlookers, savoring his last dawn on Earth for a month. He disengaged himself from Shiozaki and Izawa, and moved to the launch vehicle with the rest of the explorers.

* * *

Voyageur, mankind's first attempt at an interstellar vessel, hung in orbit about Earth.

The bridge was arranged with two rows of chairs proceeding down most of its length, and with a large screen on the wall which all the chairs faced. Each chair had built into its armrest control equipment and readouts, so that the person in the chair could be part of the team controlling the ship.

A team literally did control the starship. Its members filled the bridge chairs now: basically everyone who had participated in the adventures up until this point and who had contributed to the spacecraft in a major way now stood upon the bridge. All were part of the Executive Committee that ran the vessel.

Dr. Warai looked around the bridge of the spaceship. "I never thought I'd be alive when humans left the solar system." He glowed with happiness, in which he basked for several minutes.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ayuko put a finger to her chin, and Dr. Warai suddenly recalled what she had said to him at the party. She had anticipated that the technological advances would lead to starfaring, and to colonies, and to world war. He also remembered what Dr. Sanada had told him when this project began, about just what she had done as part of the RaRa Army. Yet again he cursed the fate that made her and Dr. Rara a package deal.

He wondered how wise it was, Slade getting tied into a family like that. It wasn't Mitsuki he was worried about; it was Ayuko. Unspoken during the entire process of raising funds and building the spaceship was the prospect of her selfishness. Fear of Ayuko's greed was behind the fight over the control systems, and even now Dr. Warai was unhappy with the team arrangement. Ayuko's power aboard ship was blunted, but she still had some. Besides which, running a ship by comittee just seemed to be a bad idea. He and Slade had designed this ship as best he could, but it would've been impossible without the technology that Rara and Sanada together brought to the table. That was why Ayuko had to be tolerated. It was worth getting into space.

Why was it only now, only seconds from the first test of the engine, that he doubted his decison? Maybe it wasn't worth going into space if they risked all by bringing Ayuko and her seed of evil.

"Ready?" Dr. Sanada asked. Dr. Rara nodded and said, "The navigation system is calibrated and I've set the proper coordinates for our dimensional reentry at test point Saturn."

Of course, Dr. Warai considered, Slade would say that every person aboard was a seed of evil. Some of them simply hadn't sprouted as much as others.

Dr. Sanada activated the ship's main engine. The only noticeable effect was on the ship's screen. One moment it showed the blue jewel of the Earth the vessel orbited, and the next moment Earth had been replaced by Saturn.

The two men had actually managed to agree on the first words that should be said after humans travelled faster than the speed of light. They hadn't been able to agree on who should say them, at first. Now, Dr. Sanada and Dr. Rara waved at each other to establish timing, then said simultaneously, "Light is no longer our bond."

For several seconds after that, the bridge was made silent by the magnitude of their achievement.

"We've just done something thought impossible for humans," breathed Dr. Warai in wonder.

Kazuki looked around the bridge and said, "I'd like to thank every one of you. And Zinv, too. You've all done so much to help us get out here, and I can't thank you enough."

His statement hung in the air, not awkwardly, but being gratefully received by everyone, till finally Mituski Rara told him, "It was our pleasure, Kazuki."

Alice wished she had been the one to break the dramatic silence with her yell of glee, but decided better late than never. D giggled. In her room, Kumu barked and ran around. All over the ship, there was sudden, spontaneous applause, whoops. Noisemakers were taken out of hiding and resounded many, many times. People shook hands, gave high fives, danced impromptu jigs. There was senseless laughter and terrible jokes. Everyone aboard had invested some of the best parts of their lives with each other, dedicated to this goal that had just been achieved. Even if the rest of the mission failed miserably, they would be happy knowing they had gotten this far. This was a wonderful moment, a triumph that would resound in the annals of history.

Dr. Warai could still see Ayuko, with that knowing, smug, smile on her face, but even that could not take away the deep and powerful happiness and achievement he and everyone, even she felt. There were some things evil could not suceed in marring.


	48. Pioneers Ch 4

Chapter 4

The next few hours were rather anticlimactic. They had appeared where they had expected to, but couldn't assume that all was well. Now, everyone was running diagnostic tests to ensure that all actually was well. Dr. Hayase, Dr. Sanada, and Dr. Rara were running dimensional tests to ensure that they hadn't traveled millions of years into the future or appeared in a different, parallel universe. Dr. Warai, Slade, and the maintenance crews were examining the ship to ensure that it was still intact and all its systems were operational. The pilots of the combat mecha were assisting in this process by performing spacewalks via their robots, checking the exterior of the ship for mysterious cracks or alien remoras. Mrs. Nanjyoin, Akane, and Ayuko coordinated all the operations from the now-lonely bridge.

Kazuki carefully moved Zinv around the hull, using the thrusters on Zinv's backpack instead of legs. He knew he had to concentrate, but somehow he couldn't stop thinking about all the bouquets. How long would he have to satisfy all four of their egos? Why were these fights always breaking out among them? Kazuki hadn't asked for any of the circumstances that had brought them together. Why did they always blame him for any perceived slight against them that was really just an accident?

He was being unfair, Kazuki reminded himself. Usually they got along very well. Also, he had very specifically chosen for all of them to be together, and to be doing what they were right now. Last time they had made a new universe, all of them had agreed that they wanted to be together too, or else they wouldn't be here right now. It was just hard sometimes. Actually, during some of the calmer times was when he most doubted his choices. When everything was as normal as it ever got, he wondered if it was really best for the people he cared about to be together like this. Maybe it was selfish and cruel of him to keep everyone close all the time. Was it really best for everyone to be stuck together forever? They never got to experience a normal life, normal pleasures or responsibilities, when everyone stayed together in the way he and Zinv enjoyed.

It would also make mealtimes a more comfortable experience if he inhabited a normal household.

How could he know what was best? The simple answer was how happy they seemed to be, but that might not tell the whole story. Of course living this way made him happy, and everyone else claimed to be happy to be together like this. What if there was more fulfillment than their current living situation afforded them? What if it were denying the others some opportunity to grow, or become even more happy? Had he denied them that opportunity every time he had asked Zinv to modify the world?

Zinv, as Kazuki knew through their telepathic bond, shared this confusion. This was a question whose answer Zinv did not know either.

* * *

Dr. Warai wasn't quite sure how to phrase his question. Slade had only told him once about what he had done in the other world. The doctor did know he'd be keeping his voice down.

"I never got to ask you," he murmured to Slade as they looked over technical readouts, "just why you didn't want the low-powered Himc to be made, or why you didn't want to pilot it."

Slade shrugged, and replied in a similar murmur, "I just prefer the full power of my little uberweapon. Despite everything."

Dr. Warai wasn't sure that was the answer he wanted; it made him terribly uneasy. Neither of them wanted to continue this conversation.

* * *

Finally, the checks were all complete; all was well with the vessel. The navigational information was entered again, and the Voyageur's engines were engaged. In the next blink of an eye, they appeared just outside the orbit of the planet Loki. A bright star shone in the viewscreen of the bridge. From their point of view, the star was partially eclipsed by Loki.

"Say hello to Imanuel, everyone," Dr. Warai said breezily. "It'll be our sun for the next month."

Dr. Sanada suggested, "We'd better steer this thing into Loki's orbit proper so we can begin the exploration."

"Right," Dr. Rara agreed. "I'm putting the navigational information through now."

"Thanks," Dr. Sanada said easily, then exclaimed, "What! We can't go in like that! We need a polar orbit first!"

"I thought we wanted to go for geostationary orbit first," Dr. Rara said defensively.

"Then maybe you could've brought it up when we were planning the trip!" Dr. Sanada was incredulous.

"Mrs. Nanjyoin, please call up the meeting minutes," Dr. Rara insisted. "I did suggest that when we were planning this."

"I'm afraid I can't do that," she said equitably, "I'm still logged into communications. We'd have to wait several minutes for me to access the meeting minutes."

Mitsuki Sanada was irritated. "Just make a decision now! Every minute we wait, we drift further in the gravitational field, making it harder for us to take any action!"

"Kent, don't you have that on your PDA?" his wife asked.

Kent fiddled with his PDA, gesturing rapidly to command it, juggling work schedules. "No, I don't have the minutes, but the work schedules clearly indicate we go into a low orbit first."

"It's not a low orbit first!" Dr. Rara and Dr. Sanada insisted.

Akane asserted, "I have access to the meeting minutes right now, and it is a low orbit first."

"Well, we ought to change it to polar first!" Dr. Sanada decided.

D yawned. Alice complained, "This is boring. Are we actually going to do something now that we're on the final frontier?"

Kazuki suggested, "Why don't we at least concentrate on moving towards the planet for now?"

"But what orbit are we going to put it in?" Dr. Rara asked.

"Let's put it to a vote," Ayuko suggested.

Dr. Warai harrumphed. "When this expedition is over, I'll tell the reporters, 'The best part about this expedition was the teamwork and camaraderie we shared.'"

The view began to change as the ship began to move.

"We're moving," Yayoi noticed, accessing several sensors in an attempt to determine why. "I'm hoping that we're firing our engines? I'm only hooked into sensors."

"Of course we're moving," Dr. Sanada said. "After all, we're going into a low orbit now, aren't we?"

"Right," Dr. Rara agreed. "Of course that's what we're doing."

Kazuki suggested tightly, "Right. Why don't we all go over what we're doing again?"

"There's no need," Dr. Sanada waved it off.

"We remember the plan," Dr. Rara assured him.

Akane ignored them and read off the final plan of the mission. The first phase was one that they were able to accomplish relatively quickly. The Voyageur moved into the low orbit, and using its telescopes and equipment, surveyed large areas of Loki. It was, as expected, a planet with an iron core, relatively close to the size and gravity of Earth, with a slightly thinner atmosphere. As anticipated, it was incapable of supporting human beings. There was no sign of life, intelligent or otherwise.

Mitsuki Rara mentioned to D, "This is the part you get to do."

"This is the fun part for me," D smiled.

"Yes, if you would please, D," Dr. Sanada smiled at her. "Do it now."

D accessed her control system and released several satellite probes, which would orbit the planet. Some of them fired their own rockets to place them in different orbits, so there would be many points of view. Mrs. Nanjyoin confirmed that all of the satellites were communicating with the Voyageur.

Dr. Rara said, "All the atmospheric conditions are as we expected. Let's go ahead and send the other probes."

Mitsuki Rara and Sanada, as well as Mits, released aerial rovers and landbound probes to further explore the planet. The land rovers were concentrated in areas that they did not anticipate human explorers would have time to reach this mission. Many of the aerial rovers surveyed the areas where the expedition was preparing to send humans. The vast multitude of data now being received meant that Yayoi, Dr. Hayase, and Dr. Rara and Dr. Sanada were quite occupied in sifting through it. The Mitsukis, D, and the bodyguard trio, were occupied in directly controlling several of the probes.

Slade drummed his fingers on the armrest of his chair as he looked at the power flow aboard the Voyageur. "Dr. Warai, any idea what could be causing this fluctuation?"

Dr. Warai looked at the information Slade had just sent him. "Yes, it looks like something's draining the energy. Have you shut down the backup antennae systems?"

"Twice." Slade affirmed.

Dr. Warai and Slade thought for a moment.

"It's time to move into geostationary orbit," Akane offered.

"Of course, my dear," Dr. Sanada agreed.

Ayuko had been handling intership communications, and had been speaking in a low voice for large portions of the past few hours. Now she spoke up and said, "The crew is requesting some more time before we change orbits. They need some more time to prepare things and stow their equipment."

"A reasonable request," Mrs. Nanjyoin mused. Dr. Sanada nodded, "Sure, as long as it doesn't take too long."

Dr. Warai finally told Slade, "I don't know what it could be, and- it's going away now."

A few minutes later, Ayuko exchanged a few murmured words with the crew, and announced that everyone aboard was prepared. The orbit was changed.

Kazuki held his excitement in check. It was almost time now. As soon as all of the endless scientific tests were done to ensure his safety, he would get his opportunity, and seize it.

Yayoi looked at everyone. "Any other measurements we need?" Dr. Sanada shook his head.

Dr. Hayase determined, "All the measurements indicate the ground is solid and safe."

Dr. Rara grunted. "We should go ahead and launch the habitat, right?"

The habitat was carried aboard the spaceship and would be left behind on the planet. During the mission, the expedition members visiting the planet would live there on a temporary basis. They would return to the ship after a few days to be replaced by others. At the end of the month, all the people would return to the spacecraft. All this would of course be impossible if the habitat landed on quicksand or an alien tar pit, hence the exhaustive battery of probes and sensors. Once the habitat successfully landed, then humans and their mecha could finally land on Loki.

"Oh, I don't know, only if you think so," Dr. Sanada told him.

"Well, I do think your opinion matters, even if you are stupid," Dr. Rara replied.

"Your opinion matters even though you're an idiot," Dr. Sanada replied.

Dr. Warai whined, "Mommy, make them stop being mean to each other!"

Kazuki spoke up. "Come on, guys, this is important. Can't we work together?"

Mitsuki Sanada asked, "Dad, is there any good reason we can't proceed with the mission?"

Kazuki's stomach growled. D looked at him in surprise and realized, "I guess there is one."

Mitsuki Rara gasped. "I'm so sorry. In all the excitement, I forgot it was lunchtime. I'll get you something to eat right away." She hurried off the bridge. The bodyguard trio cried, "Wait! Ms. Mitsuki!" and followed her.

"I'll help too," decided Mits, departing the bridge as well, "since everyone must need lunch by this time."

Kazuki tried again. "Hold on! I can go without lunch!"

Yayoi was also leaving the bridge. "At your age, regular meals are especially important." With that, she left.

"But we're almost ready to-" Kazuki began.

Mitsuki Sanada said firmly, "Kazuki, we'll be back soon. I'll see to it that they just make a snack. In the meantime," she pressed a button and stood up, "that should get us ready for the next phase of the mission."

Ayuko smiled disturbingly. "Mitsuki, my dear, I believe we're all hungry. We've been working for so long. A full meal for everyone would be most appropriate."

"If Kazuki gets hungry later," Mitsuki Sanada commented as she strode off the bridge, "I'm not going to listen to any complaints from him. You may, if you like."

Slade looked at his PDA. "I knew we forgot something in the scheduling. We forgot to schedule any time to eat. Glad we caught that one."

Kazuki looked around the bridge despondently and commented, "At least Mitsuki got the habitat launched."

Slade was muttering to himself. "I should start forgetting things I actually want to forget, for a change."

Dr. Sanada had finally logged into the control system Mitsuki Sanada had just been using. "That was actually the wrong control for that; she pressed the one to send some other equipment to the surface." He pulled a large lever. "There. That's released the habitat. I thought she would certainly remember it."


	49. Pioneers Ch 5

Chapter 5:

Lunch was finally concluded. Yayoi and Mrs. Nanjyoin had confirmed that the habitat, and the exploratory mecha, and sundry other equipment, had landed safely. At last it was time for the first human to set foot on the surface of an alien planet.

Kazuki Yotsuga had been seen off by the entire Executive Committee, and now sat in Zinv's cockpit in a spacesuit. Zinv and the other mecha could survive indefinitely in vacuum and on the planet's surface, but the humans required the suits' insulation and air.

"Last check," Dr. Warai insisted. Before Zinv could be launched from the Voyageur, they had to be sure that everything was ready.

Mrs. Nanjyoin said, "The rockets to be used for the return of Zinv and the habitat crew are reporting they are safe on the planet's surface."

"The hangar doors are open," Mitsuki Sanada said.

"Okay, let's launch him!" Dr. Rara decided.

"Have fun for us, Kazuki!" Dr. Sanada wished him.

Mitsuki Sanada had the lever all to herself this time. She pulled it.

After a moment, Kazuki's voice came, "Uhm, why am I not moving?"

"I think you're supposed to press this button," Ryla said, poking at something on Mitsuki Sanada's console.

"No, turn this knob," Alice insisted.

Mena casually opened a shield and flipped a toggle switch, and Zinv was launched.

"Thank you," Mitsuki fumed.

Zinv arrived upon the planet's surface some minutes later. The giant robot paced and looked about for a little while.

"What do you think of it?" D asked.

Kazuki shrugged. There wasn't a lot to see. It all looked rather dead and dull. What made the moment for him was the sense of history. This was the first planet outside the solar system ever to be explored by humans, and he was about to be the first human to ever set foot on another planet.

"I wonder what he's going to say," wondered Dr. Sanada.

Dr. Rara leaned forward and murmured in anticipation, "The first words ever spoken on an alien planet."

Zinv kneeled down to bring his cockpit closer to the ground, and Kazuki stepped out onto Zinv's body, his spacesuit completely enclosing him.

Kazuki walked out a few steps on the surface of Loki.

"This is really cool," he said, enraptured now that he could see even the dullness of this planet with his own eyes. His own eyes were actually looking at a planet far from Earth. He could hardly breathe for the wonder of it, and was so enraptured he didn't realize he had spoken.

There was a moment of silence on the bridge, then Akane simply buried her head in her hands and moaned. Yayoi looked anxiously at the sensors and communications equipment; this historic moment was being recorded.

Kazuki sensed the silence and said suddenly, "No, no, wait, I meant-"

"It doesn't matter now," Ayuko stated the obvious.

"I liked it," Mitsuki Rara put forth.

"Yes, I thought it was rather appropriate," Dr. Sanada agreed. Akane moaned again.

Dr. Rara looked at him, agape. "Are you joking?"

D cried, "I liked it, too! Good job, Kazuki!"

Kazuki doggedly continued with the words he had prepared for his first few steps on an alien planet, "I meant to say, 'I'd like to thank all the people who got me here.'"

Yayoi informed him, "You're quite welcome, Kazuki."

Kazuki said, "Right. I'll go look at all of the equipment that we sent down here." He and Zinv confirmed visually that everything was in working order. The exploratory mecha were in their heat-shielded modules, and hadn't been broken, so they were also certified as in working order.

Now the pilots of the exploratory mecha, and their backup pilots, were being transported to the surface via shuttle. They would begin exploring the nearby area. Kazuki got the systems of the habitat started up, using the checklist he had practiced with, which was also being read to him from the Voyageur for good measure. He and Zinv then set off to explore a further area, where the combat mecha would land and subsequently explore. The first combat mecha scheduled to reach the planet's surface were those of Yayoi, D, Mitsuki Sanada, and Mitsuki Rara. Eventually, the entire crew of the ship would have a chance to walk on Loki, as crewmembers rotated into and out of the habitat.

The exploratory mecha pilots arrived on the planet's surface, while the first combat mecha pilots took some rest on the Voyageur. The exploratory mecha were smaller mecha, created without weapons, and for pure exploration. They disassembled their heat shields and reassembled them into rockets for the exploratory mechas' return to the Voyageur, as well as a launcher to send rock samples into orbit for collection.

Kazuki found a good landing area for the other combat mecha. His last task was complete. "Hey, I was wondering if I could go back to Zinv's landing point and start exploring that area."

Back on the Voyageur, Dr. Sanada shrugged. It was surely a job for an exploratory mecha, but there was no point in dampening Kazuki's enthusiasm. Besides which, the exploratory mecha were all relatively far from the landing point, and involved in their own exploratory tasks. "Sure, go ahead, Kazuki."

At the same time, Dr. Rara cleared the combat mecha for launch, and Mrs. Nanjyoin cleared a shuttleful of scientists for launch to the planet's surface as well. The bridge was getting somewhat shorthanded, with only Dr. Sanada, Dr. Rara, Dr. Hayase, Mrs. Nanjyoin, and Akane, looking lost amid the many chairs. All other bridge personnel were either en route to the surface, already on the surface, or resting in preparation for when they'd take over the bridge on the next shift.

Zinv stooped down and touched a weathered rock near their landing point. Kazuki said to him, "Yeah, I'd like to do that too." He stepped out of Zinv's cockpit and pressed his gloved hand against the rock. This was so amazing, for he never thought he'd have the opportunity to touch things on an alien planet.

* * *

Ayuko checked the display of the computer in the quarters she shared with Dr. Rara. The display informed her that the mission was on schedule and informed her of the time, which she doublechecked against her watch. Ayuko locked the door and entered commands into the computer.

* * *

One of the backup pilots looked up in surprise. An exploratory mecha was approaching the habitat. It looked like it was carrying an object, but it was hard to tell what, because the robot was walking backwards. He suddenly realized that all of the exploratory mecha had been careful to keep their backs to the habitat for the entirety of the mission. After many rehearsals and simulations, the backup pilot knew that at this moment, the exploratory mecha were supposed to be exploring the nearby plains. This exploratory mecha wasn't doing its assigned mission. Running to the windows, the backup pilot could see that the others were also deviating from their assignments. The other backup pilots looked at him as they came to the same realization. They could see the growing alarm in each other's faces: they had to do something. One woman began to hail the mecha approaching the habitat, while other backup pilots tried to call the other mecha and the Voyageur.

* * *

Mrs. Nanjyoin, once again on communications, listened to these reports with apprehension. She was just about to ask Dr. Hayase what was going on when the doctor, looking at the positions of the mecha, asked her, "Mrs. Nanjyoin, have the exploration pilots told you what they're doing near the habitat?"

Mrs. Nanjyoin replied, "No. I was about to ask you that myself."

Dr. Rara had gone to sensors some time ago, and reported, "It looks like there's been some sort of strange energy field forming around the habitat in the last few minutes."

"I knew it!" Dr. Sanada whooped. "We've stumbled onto alien technology!"

"Stupid Sanada!" Dr. Rara declaimed. "This isn't alien technology!"

"What is it, then?" Dr. Sanada crossed his arms.

"These are aliens' mental powers!" Dr. Rara said with authority.

Dr. Sanada looked at him skeptically.

Akane suddenly noticed that she was receiving a communication from a "Chevalier, Christina." That was one of the exploration pilots she hadn't been able to interview, and had instead only looked at a résumé. Why would she want to call her now? Akane took the call.

"Hello there, Yamano or Sanada or whatever you call yourself now!" The words scratched at Akane's ears as they entered. Akane recognized the voice at once and said in a soft whisper of dread, "Plath." Somehow Plath had taken on a false name and snuck on to the expedition, and she obviously still hated her and the Earth Defense Force.

"You're through, do you know that?" the taunting caller continued. "This time, there are no laws to save you. No U.N., no peaceful fighting rules. Just us and our own strength!" The caller hung up with screeching, raucous laughter.

Akane spun to face Mrs. Nanjyoin and urged her, "Tell Kazuki to get out of there now! They're planning something!" Mrs. Nanjyoin did so with alacrity.

* * *

Kazuki straightened up from where he was examining another rock tens of meters from Zinv and ran back towards his counterpart. "What's the matter, Mrs. Nanjyoin?" he asked. Zinv, also agitated, began to look around himself without Kazuki controlling him or even being in the cockpit. Zinv's red eye flared.

"I'm not sure, but Plath is plotting against us!" Akane said, wishing she knew more than the fact that Gwyneth Plath had joined the expedition under the name Christina Chevalier. Mrs. Nanjyoin had opened up communication from all the bridge to all the combat mecha, piloted by their friens whom they trusted; she and Dr. Hayase were quickly losing trust in the exploratory mecha and didn't include them. "I think at least one of the exploratory mecha is mutinying!"

Kazuki and Zinv had lost all their trust in the exploratory mecha. "Zinv, get him!" Kazuki cried. Zinv had already begun to run at incredible speed towards the approaching exploratory mecha.

"Kazuki, tell us what's happening," Mrs. Nanjyoin urged, calling up a picture from Zinv's point of view and placing it on the large bridge screen. This didn't help much, as everything was blurred from Zinv's incredible fast movements. "Okay, Zinv defeated the exploratory mecha," Kazuki's voice could be heard on the bridge. "I'm in Zinv now."

Dr. Hayase reported, "Two of the exploratory mecha are inside the energy field, and three are outside it. They've all abandoned their missions! One outside the field has been disabled, with the pilot's life signs confirmed."

Dr. Sanada could stand the suspense no longer. "Kazuki, what happened?"

There was another blur of motion as Zinv returned to where he had been standing and Kazuki said, "I'll show you what happened." The bridge crew now saw the wrecked exploratory mecha. There was a collective gasp as they saw the modifications made to it. Mounted on its front were bulbous laser weapons, similar to those carried by the RaRa artifact battleship. "He probably wanted to destroy the rocket Zinv and I were going to use to return to the ship, to strand us here. Or maybe even blow up Zinv's cockpit since it was open after I'd gotten out," Kazuki said angrily. "It's a good thing Zinv can move fast."

"You planned this, didn't you, Rara?" Dr. Sanada turned on him.

Dr. Rara glared at him as his hands tightened on his armrests. "If I had, I wouldn't be sitting here doing nothing. I'd be leading the mutiny."

They locked gazes a moment and Dr. Sanada finally relented. "You're right; your eyes don't look like a traitor's." Dr. Warai entered the bridge at this point and collapsed onto his chair, shocked at a treachery more horrible than his own premonitions.

"Dad, is everyone all right up there?" D asked as she, Yayoi, Mitsuki Sanada, and Mitsuki Rara, descended from Voyaguer via their combat mecha. On a slightly different course, a shuttleful of scientists plunged through the atmosphere towards the planet below.

"We're all fine, D," Akane reassured her.

Slade, Mits, Ryla, Mena, and Alice all hurried onto the bridge. Before everyone was quite able to sit down, and long before they were logged into their systems, a communication from "Rara, Ayuko," was addressed to every communications device on the expedition.

She said pleasantly to everyone, "Until further notice, I, Ayuko Rara, claim possession of the planet Loki."


	50. Pioneers Ch 6

Chapter 6:

Slade broke the sudden silence after Ayuko's declaration. "I'm curious. Is there anyone who's actually surprised by this turn of events?"

"It is rather ironic," Ayuko purred. "All of you, in one way or another, anticipated this and tried to stop me, and yet none of you succeeded."

Dr. Warai burst out laughing. "I don't know a great deal about giant robot combat," he admitted. "What I do know is that Yotsuga can easily overpower your forces. Do you really imagine that a bunch of exploratory mecha can defeat Zinv? Just surrender already, save us all some time."

"The mecha aren't all I've got up my sleeve," Ayuko was alarmingly undisturbed.

Mrs. Nanjyoin received a surreptitious communication from the besieged planetside habitat: "The mecha are loading rocks onto the sample conveyer, but they've changed its aim. It looks like they're firing it like a cannon!"

The shuttleful of scientists were still descending towards the planet as they reported in, "We've got a large quantity of material heading towards us at a high velocity."

"Take evasive action already!" Dr. Rara and Dr. Sanada shouted at them.

Rocks were being hurled at them by the high-velocity delivery system intended to deliver samples to the Voyageur. The exploratory mecha had perverted it into a weapon.

Slade was very glad that Naoko Yoshi, the Japanese nickname Dr. Choi Hae-rim had taken, had been in charge of designing the shuttles. She was one of the most competent engineers he'd met. The shuttle managed to dodge most of the rocks hurled at it, an incredible feat during reentry.

Ayuko growled, and had to change her plans so quickly that she didn't turn off her communications to the bridge. The bridge crew could hear her ordering her forces to change their targets to the incoming combat mecha, also descending through the atmosphere towards the planet on a different course from the shuttle.

"What!" Mitsuki Sanada yelped.

Yayoi was seriously alarmed. "During reentry, we don't have the maneuvering capability that the shuttle does!"

The backup pilots in the habitat watched the exploratory mecha rotate the sample conveyor slightly and change its elevation, loading more rocks on.

"Oh, no," D murmured.

Zinv was charging the habitat, prepared to destroy the cannon.

It was at that moment that the combat mecha completed most of their descent. The fierce heat and turbulence of reentry no longer enveloped them. They fell quickly to earth, chutes deploying to make their descent safe. The exploratory mecha tried desperately to adjust the aim of the bulky sampler, but could not move it fast enough.

There was complete silence on the bridge for a moment, until Dr. Warai started to laugh. "Well thought out, Ayuko. I can tell you've been planning this a while!" he said sarcastically as he chortled.

Ayuko's smug voice resounded over the speakers. "How very witty, Dr. Warai. I believe you used oxygen to make that remark?"

Dr. Rara and Dr. Sanada were hunched over Dr. Sanada's console, talking in whispers. Akane suddenly noticed them and asked, "If you have anything to contribute, I think we'd all like to know about it."

The two men turned from the console, looking very sheepish. "She's taken legitimate control of one of our vital subsystems," Dr. Rara began, putting a hand behind his head.

"Kazuki," Ayuko addressed him, "if you wish for the Voyageur to keep its oxygen, I recommend you stop right there."

Zinv hesitated. "Have oxygen aboard it?" Kazuki repeated, dumbfounded.

Dr. Sanada confirmed, "Yeah, I'm afraid she has control of life support."

Zinv and Kazuki stopped short at the base of a cliff.

An enraged Akane exclaimed, "How could you have allowed that!"

"Nobody else was using those controls at the moment, and she does have authority as a member of the executive committee," Dr. Sanada tried to explain.

Kazuki couldn't believe this turn of events. "Now our own system of having only one person on the controls at a time is going to prevent us from taking life support back?"

Dr. Rara huffed, "As intended, it did keep her from taking over the whole ship."

Mitsuki Rara was horrified. "Mother, how dare you threaten to kill all of them!"

Ayuko laughed. "My little Mitsuki, don't worry. That's only a last resort. With the controls here, I can easily deprive and restore the air. I could make everyone on the bridge only faint for a moment before restoring the air. It'd all be the same; no one can fight against me when unconscious."

Dr. Hayase was keeping close track of the four functional and rebellious exploratory mecha. She noticed that one functional exploratory mecha outside the habitat area was changing its course repeatedly. She could not tell where it wanted to go. There were three mecha near the habitat, within the shield they had installed, she told the bridge crew. These mecha were setting up the geological surveying equipment, but not as planned. The backup pilots, besieged in the habitat, guessed that the exploratory mecha were attempting to mine a shiny yellow deposit that might or might not be gold.

"Ayuko, did you read the economic section of our original reports?" Dr. Warai asked. "I put it in there especially for you. There's not any way you can make a profit off of this. The fuel costs too much. If you managed to mine platinum and gold and oil down there and filled every nook and cranny of the Voyageur with it, you would perhaps barely pay off the fuel costs."

Ayuko spoke confidently. "Perhaps profit is not what I am seeking. Or perhaps your forecasts were wrong."

The shuttle of scientists had nearly completed their descent and were only a few tens of meters from touchdown, but they unexpectedly called in. "Voyageur, there's an exploratory mecha standing on a hill near us. I'm guessing he's not here to welcome us to Loki?" Dr. Hayase realized this was where the meandering robot had ended up.

"That depends on whether you wish to join me as we ensure that this planet is used to prevent the nations from going to war," Ayuko informed them, "or wish humanity to be forever divided against itself."

The shuttlecraft pilot replied, "I don't even know what you're talking about. We're not claiming this planet for anyone or anything."

"Then your welcome is of a more permanent nature," Ayuko informed them.

The exploratory mecha leapt up to score the shuttle with its beams, but the shuttle had begun to flee.

The four combat mecha sprung forward, running from their landing site towards the shuttlecraft and exploratory mecha in the distance. "Don't bother threatening us anymore, Ayuko," Yayoi informed her. "We're going to stop you just like we did before."

Ayuko just smiled to herself. Having the combat mecha gadding about Loki instead of attacking her forces at the habitat or on the Voyageur was a good thing. In fact, she dispatched a second exploratory mecha from the habitat vicinity to follow them, to make the struggle more interesting. Ayuko then spoke into the communications system, "Threats? You're the ones who are threatening me, and the entire world. Secrets we learned from artifact technology are now being used in Earth's industries. Our planet is beginning to get a small taste of that power, and it won't be satisfied with a small taste. Now that there are no physical artifacts remaining, the nations of the world will go to war in order to capture us, the last people with first-hand knowledge of the artifacts. We need Loki as a safe haven, to build our forces until we can unite the world in peace, prosperi-"

Mrs. Nanjyoin used her authority over the communications system to turn off Ayuko's microphone and end her transmission.

Dr. Warai bowed low to Mrs. Nanjyoin. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" he gasped.

"After hearing that for about twenty years in two universes," Dr. Rara mused, "it's lost a lot of its appeal."

Mrs. Nanjyoin informed them calmly, "I'm afraid I wasn't able to turn Ayuko off completely. If I had to guess, she's somehow managed to install a Darling Wave transmitter not tied into our control systems, and is using it to communicate with her forces."

"It was a nice try by Ayuko, but she's lost again," Dr. Sanada sighed, leaning back in his chair.

Akane ground her teeth. "Ayuko hasn't lost yet, Ken! She still has control of life support!"

"Relax!" Dr. Sanada waved offhandedly at her, "there's nothing to worry about. The shuttlecraft is safe, and those kids can easily handle exploratory mecha. Once they get back up here, we'll have enough Executive Committee members to kick Ayuko off the committee. Then she won't be able to control life support and we'll be all right."

"What if Mother orders the exploratory mecha to destroy the rockets Kazuki and the others need to return to orbit?" Mits asked.

Dr. Sanada jerked and straightened up guiltily.

Dr. Rara told him, "Even if they could get up here, it would be rather tricky. The energy field I found around the habitat now exists in several locations here on the ship. It turns out to be a shield preventing physical objects from passing. I suppose you can guess where one of them is located?" he said ruefully.

"The galley?" Mena guessed.

Slade grimaced. "I thought death by suffocation would be bad, but now I think I'd prefer it to starvation."

Dr. Rara looked strangely at them. "No, she put a shield around the secure room, the only place on the ship where we can revoke Ayuko's access."

Akane was dumbfounded. "How is that possible?"

"It's worse," Dr. Rara told her. "There's shields around the hangar, too. Nothing can come into the ship, and we can't launch any of our remaining shuttlecraft or combat mecha."

"I want to know, too, how is that possible?" Alice demanded.

Dr. Warai realized, "She tapped into the power network aboard the ship! That's why we've been getting fluctuations in power! Ayuko must've had her people install this in the last few hours, just before we changed orbits! So we got weird readings!"

Slade, working on Dr. Warai's hunch, was looking at the power diagrams and tapping his fingers on his armrests. He added, with grudging admiration, "Then the exploratory mecha put a shield on top of the habitat, and the exploratory mecha are staying within it for protection."

"This isn't a problem, though," Dr. Warai grunted. "The shields haven't got nearly enough energy to resist any of the combat mecha. They'd break through in no time!"

The whole bridge crew looked suddenly uncomfortable. Ryla tried to break it gently to the doctor, "But the combat mecha can't fit inside the corridors where the secure room is."

Dr. Warai slumped back in his seat. "I suppose not."

Mrs. Nanjyoin said confidently, "If we calmly consider our alternatives, I believe we will be able to come up with a strategy that can defeat Ayuko."

Kazuki called in, "Ayuko might just be bluffing about turning off your air. She's never killed anyone before. Can I please attack the habitat?"

"Don't bother, Kazuki," Mitsuki Sanada replied severely. "We're lucky she's letting us act. Just wait until they get things fixed up there; then it'll be your turn."

"But we've just been saying we have no idea when things will get fixed up here!" Ryla disputed with her.

"Fine, I won't take the chance," sighed Kazuki. "You four go out and win, all right? And, everybody on the ship?" he addressed them, "Please get life support back so I can actually do something."


	51. Pioneers Ch 7

Chapter 7:

The four combat mecha, piloted by Mitsuki Sanada, Yayoi, D, and Mitsuki Rara, charged over the barren surface of Loki, around large depressions, above windswept hills. They were headed towards the exploratory mecha that had attempted to attack the shuttleful of scientists. The shuttle had survived and was now returning to orbit, but the shield Ayuko had placed on the Voyageur's hangar bay would prevent it entering. The combat mecha hoped to, in some small way, strike back at the paralyzing treachery Ayuko and her cohorts had worked.

D moved in her seat. "This is going to be an interesting fight. I don't know that anyone's ever installed that kind of laser cannon on a robot before."

Yayoi's expression was one of sudden surprise. "We should discuss our tactics before we reach the target," she told the others calmly enough.

"Why, because we're being chased by that other robot?" Mitsuki Rara asked, referring to another enemy exploratory mecha attempting to catch up to them. Yayoi clarified, "That enemy unit needs to be considered as well, but that isn't what I meant."

* * *

Ayuko, sitting alone in her cabin, had come to the same realization. She sat before her computer screen, which showed various data sent to her by the exploratory mecha and received by a Darling Wave antenna Ayuko had installed in the last few hours by people on the ship using bribery. Her plot had been very well concealed, so no one was prepared for battle. The combat mecha, she realized, had left their weapons in storage on the Voyageur.

* * *

Yayoi had just reminded the others of that fact. "Our tactics will require getting to hand-to-hand range against the enemy."

They no weapons of any sort- it'd be their mecha's fists and feet against the laser cannons the traitors had recently mounted on the exploratory mecha.

Mitsuki Sanada nodded. "Let's try not to get hit by their cannons," she suggested archly, "because I don't want to have to carry anyone across the planet."

* * *

Ayuko ordered the exploratory mecha that was the object of their attack to charge them. Its pilot, Gwyneth Ursula Plath, responded with the screech, "With pleasure, Mrs. Rara!" and a cackle to end it. Ayuko's lips thinned and eyes narrowed.

* * *

"We should attack the one behind us while the other one's out of range," D suggested.

Dr. Hayase reported from the ship, "The one in front of you is charging you as well. It'd reach you while you were dealing with the other one."

"Then we'll continue our charge, and pull a surprise on them," Yayoi decided.

* * *

Aboard the ship, the bridge crew was trying to think of a way to deactivate the shields Ayuko had installed some hours earlier and turned on when she led the mutiny. Dr. Rara was saying, "I didn't think we'd need any heavy weapons aboard the ship. There's nothing strong enough to penetrate the shield she put around the secure room. Something more subtle will have to make up for it."

"Why don't we just turn off the power?" Dr. Sanada asked.

Dr. Warai had been feverishly working and mumbling with Slade for the past five minutes, but the remark about the power prompted Dr. Warai to look at the others. "We can turn off power to areas of the ship, but we located the secure room in the same section as life support. If we turned it off, we'd cut off the supply of air and heat for the whole ship."

Dr. Hayase looked at him. "The power to Ayuko's cabin could be turned off. She's probably running the whole operation from there."

Dr. Warai shook his head. "Coincidentally also in the same section as life support." He returned to poking at controls and screens.

"We could turn off power at the hangar," Dr. Rara suggested.

Nobody said anything for a few seconds, so Dr. Rara repeated his suggestion confusedly.

Slade now looked up distractedly from his screen, "The hangar. The hangar?" He nudged Dr. Warai. "There's nothing mission-critical attached to the hangar, is there? I don't think there's a problem."

Dr. Warai took a few seconds longer to come out of a reverie of work, but finally concurred.

"Turning off hangar power, that'll deactivate the shield so we can launch stuff, right?" Mena realized.

Akane said, "We ought to do it right away, before my crazy sister tries anything else."

"Right," Mits agreed, "We'll start changing into our pilot suits." She, the bodyguard trio, and Ms. Hayase began to file out of the bridge.

Dr. Rara peered quizzically at Mits. "Why bother, Mitsuki?"

"We are facing a bit of a time crunch," Slade put in as he tore himself away from a last-minute check with Dr. Warai about how to shut down the section's power.

"It's tradition," was Mits' only response as she left the bridge.

Dr. Sanada was complacent. "You know how it is with women and clothes," he pontificated unconcernedly.

Akane folded her arms. "You know how it is with men and being annoying."

Slade wasn't listening to this exchange. He was heading off the bridge, but then turned back to Dr. Warai to murmur, "You're sure this is the only way?"

"Well, we need to know how Ayuko is making those shields, which means we need to actually find one of her shield generators. If not, we won't be able to break into the secure room." Dr. Warai said with finality.

"Not exactly what I meant." Slade frowned. "I meant, shouldn't we have someone who's good at this do it? Like Dr. Hayase?"

Dr. Warai looked at him. "Maybe, but if we really are in a time crunch..." Slade nodded and walked quickly off the bridge.

Dr. Rara and Dr. Sanada looked at each other, then at Dr. Warai. "Is there any way to take out the shield generator directly?" Dr. Sanada asked, for both himself and Dr. Rara.

"The one around the secure room?" Akane asked, and Dr. Warai waited for the confirmation as well. Dr. Rara and Dr. Sanada nodded, and Dr. Warai pronounced, "We should be able to cut off the power of just the shield generator by severing the cables that are supplying its power. Hopefully some of them run outside the shield itself. It'll be a long process, and we'll probably disable several systems."

"Then we'd better get started," Dr. Sanada decided. "Why don't we three start cutting wires?" He rubbed his hands together.

Akane looked worriedly at Mrs. Nanjyoin. Mrs. Nanjyoin was good at hiding her disturbance.

"You'd think I was going to cut wires randomly!" Dr. Sanada complained.

Dr. Warai chuckled, "From what Slade's told me..." and left it unfinished. Dr. Rara also began to snicker, rubbing his index finger.

"You're not going to leave just the two of us on the bridge!" Akane protested.

"I thought you two got along!" Dr. Sanada feigned surprise.

"We do get along, Ken; when have Mrs. Nanjyoin and I not gotten along?" Akane declared. "The point is that we need more than just two people on the bridge."

"I'm sorry about this, but there's not really any alternative. We don't know anyone else we can trust with something as important as the bridge," Dr. Rara apologized.

* * *

The combat mecha continued the attack, with one enemy in front and the other behind. Ayuko decided to call the combat mecha through the normal communication system, to tell them something she'd just thought of. "I hope that no one gets seriously injured in this fight. I wouldn't want anyone to get backwashed. It'd be tragic, since we won't be making any new worlds for such things to be undone."

With some difficulty, the pilots kept their tongues in check, though this reminder was rather alarming. The exploratory mecha that had been their target this whole time was now visible, running towards them. The foursome noticed that they were receiving a communication from "Chevalier, Christina." Akane had learned only within the hour that this was actually an alias for Gwyneth Plath, a woman with virulent hatred for the former Earth Defense Force and Akane in particular.

"I can hit you where you stand! You'll never get close enough to hit me!" gloated Gwyneth Plath, evidently pilot of the exploratory mecha before them.

"Plath, stop talking and start concentrating. Your tongue has frustrated my plans enough today," Ayuko slapped her down.

Kazuki desperately wished to step into fight, he stepped forward, but then thought of what Ayuko might do to the people on the Voyageur. He almost wanted to attack anyways, but they didn't want him to do it at the moment, and so he restrained himself. Zinv agreed; it was so hard standing still when so many people he cared about were in bodily peril.

* * *

Slade paused outside the door to the hangar, which he had just completely deprived of power. That meant that the shield Ayuko had her co-conspirators install in the past few hours was inoperative, but it also meant that artificial gravity was offline in that area. At least life support was being pumped through from the rest of the ship.

With careful, small movements, Kent moved through the door, from an area with Earth-normal gravity to the hangar's freefall. He was managing to do much better with these small movements than he had with large ones in the antigravity testing. Now he needed to find the shield generator, and hope that he didn't injure himself along the way, or that Ayuko didn't feel like closing the air vents to the hangar.

* * *

The pilots of the four combat mecha on Loki were surprised that they said almost at once, "Do it now!" They shouldn't have been surprised; being friends and fellow pilots for so long, they would naturally come to the same conclusion about the appropriate point from which to launch an attack.

One exploratory mecha was coming from the front, and the other from behind, and both were now in firing range, blasting at the combat mecha. Plath was trying to wipe away the shame of Ayuko's words by firing as often as possible. The traitors had an advantage in position and in the range of their weaponry, but they lacked combat experience and versatile robots.

The four combat mecha split into pairs, wheeling to face different enemies and running towards them suddenly in a serpentine pattern for dodging. Mitsuki Rara and Yayoi attacked the robot that had been in front, while Mitsuki Sanada and D took the one in back. With this abrupt maneuver, the combat mecha gained better positions. The traitors were cut off from each other, while each robot in a pair had the support of another.

"Do you still remember how to do unarmed combat, D?" Mitsuki Sanada asked as their robots ran.

"Sure! Not only that, I've improved. You're my big sister, I've seen you do it plenty of times, and I've learned from you!" D reminded her.

Their pair had made the unspoken decision to rush their target on its flanks. The combat mecha could only fire directly in front of it, so was forced to only target one at a time. Its rookie pilot made the mistake of trying to fire on both of them anyway, and hit neither. Mitsuki Sanada and D had by now reached point-blank range.

Mitsuki vociferated, "Why does everyone think I'm such a violent person! Most of my life I'm just cleaning up the house for you troublemakers!" Her robot, Unit 2, slammed both fists into the exploratory mecha's side while D's Unit 3 kicked the back of the knee joint. The combined attack made it fall down, stunned.

"Cooking!" Mitsuki ranted, "cooking is very relaxing and feminine and gentle activity that I enjoy!" She stomped on the floored exploratory mecha's visual sensors and laser cannons while D rooted about, attempting to extract its power generator. D remarked as she wrenched it free, "You especially enjoy chopping vegetables."

"D!" Mitsuki snarled. D was confused, "Why are you angry? I thought you liked being good at unarmed combat." Mitsuki returned, "That's not the point!"

Any further discussion was cut short by a cry from Yayoi. Plath, in the operational mecha, had managed to hit Yayoi's robot, more by the sheer luck of firing many shots at random than by good aim. Mitsuki Rara jumped the remaining distance to the target and tackled Plath's robot. She ended up on top of it, in the line of fire of nearly all its cannons. Plath somehow kept her head and fired them.

Akane blanched. "This can't be happening!" was all she could say as Mitsuki Rara's cry echoed over the communication systems.

Kazuki blurted, "Are you all right! Answer me, someone!"

Mitsuki Rara smashed some of the laser cannons with her fist, and used the momentum to roll off Plath's mecha. Yayoi had recovered from the pain of her hit to reach them, and flipped Plath's vehicle onto its back, so that its laser cannons now pointed harmlessly towards the ground. Mitsuki's Unit 4 sat up, and together she and Yayoi savagely ripped off the robot's power generator, leaving the raggedly severed power cords to emit large sparks.

Mrs. Nanjyoin spoke into the communication system, "Are the two of you both all right?"

"Answer us already!" Kazuki insisted.

"We're fine!" Mitsuki Rara answered brightly. "Thank you for your concern. Really, some of Mother's tantrums are worse than that."

"Yes," Yayoi agreed uneasily, "it's such an easy opponent that it was embarrassing. I hope no one was recording the skirmish."

"But it's part of history!" Dr. Sanada insisted into a microphone he wore around his head, as he and Dr. Rara and Dr. Warai removed a wall cover some distance from the secure room. "The first battle on an alien planet."

"Kazuki fought the first battle, Dad," D reminded him.

"Don't be ashamed, dear," Mrs. Nanjyoin told her granddaughter. "All of you fought very well, just as you used to."

"They used to tell me if they were all right or not," Kazuki sighed to himself. "I always answered as soon as I could!"

* * *

Kent had nearly jumped into a wall, he was so startled by the screams of Yayoi and Mitsuki Rara that he heard through his headphones. He had been searching all this time with no luck until finally he saw it on the ceiling of a maintenance corridor. With gentle, slow movements, he headed towards it, and pushed himself up off the floor slightly so he was now hanging in the air below it. He took only a moment to marvel at the sensation before reporting in through the microphone on his headset.

He had unintentionally interrupted a fierce argument between the doctors about which wires to cut first, but they were glad to hear from him. Kent described the layout of the generator and examined the wires it was connected to and with. They were beginning to get a much clearer picture of how to disable the shields.

"Kent, we're ready for launch here," Mits informed him. "Should we go on without you?"

"Yeah, go on ahead, Mits," Kent agreed, "I'll probably be awhile longer."

The bodyguard trio had settled into the remote piloting room of the Voyageur to command the jewel-cannon robot. Dr. Hayase and Mits had installed themselves into the cockpits of Units 5 and 6 respectively.

"I have an idea where Ayuko's Darling Wave antenna will be," suggested Dr. Hayase. "We should destroy it quickly. I don't want Ayuko to be able to talk to her forces about what we're doing up here."

* * *

Mrs. Nanjyoin told Akane, "The shuttle has nearly reached us." Akane had a sudden thought, "We did leave the hangar doors open before turning off the power?" Mrs. Nanjyoin nodded.

* * *

Units 5 and 6 retrieved their guns and loaded them, while the bodyguard trio tested their control of the robot. "The robot is fine, Mitsuki," Ryla declared.

"Let's launch together then," Mits said, and without further ado, the three robots propelled themselves into open space with the thrusters embedded into them.

* * *

Ayuko was watching the shuttle's approach on her console, and now pressed a button. On the exterior of the Voyageur, bulbous laser cannons extruded themselves from protective casings and fired a warning shot near the shuttle.

The shuttle veered away from the Voyageur, broadcasting in panic, "Voyageur, cease fire! It's us!"

Mrs. Nanjyoin said calmingly, "We aren't firing on you. What sort of weapons fire was it?"

"It looked like a laser!" the shuttle pilot shouted.

Ayuko noticed the mecha flying outside the spacecraft for the first time.

Mits said sadly, "I suppose Mother had those installed as well."

"This is going to be harder than I thought," Alice worried.

"Everyone watch out for the weapon locations," Dr. Hayase recommended.

Ayuko aimed the lasers and prepared to fire.


	52. Pioneers Ch 8

Chapter 8:

Ayuko's laser cannons fired from the hull of the Voyageur, trying to hit the combat mecha of the bodyguard trio, Dr. Hayase, and Mits.

"We can't see the weapons, we're too busy trying to avoid them!" Mena complained to Dr. Hayase.

"We'll just hit the Darling Wave antenna," Mits told them, "and be alert."

* * *

Akane and Mrs. Nanjyoin, alone on the bridge of the Voyageur, had been rapidly checking the ship's systems. Together, they had confirmed that the weapons were not a normal part of the ship, and the normal control systems couldn't influence them. Since Ayuko didn't have access to the ship's sensors at the moment, she must've had some of her own installed, so she would know where to aim the weapons. Akane huffed. "I don't believe it. How did Ayuko and her cronies have time to install all of this!"

"They didn't, not on the mission schedule," Dr. Sanada said tersely as he and Dr. Warai and Dr. Rara fiddled with electrical wiring. "Ayuko was stalling for them when we were trying to change orbits. Maybe she even got people to do this during their rest periods. I should've figured this out earlier."

"Don't blame yourself," Dr. Rara told him. "If anyone should've figured this out, I should have."

Kazuki called in, "Hey, are you any closer to getting Ayuko's hands off life support? I want to help!"

"We're getting there, Kazuki," Dr. Sanada assured him. "How are you doing, Slade?"

Kent Slade was rather distracted by the danger his wife and yet more of his friends were in, though was trying his best. He had already determined the connection points between the power cables and the shield generator Ayuko had installed in the hangar. He and the doctors had agreed that he would try to sever the cables. Kent now managed to cut the last one.

Kent told them through his microphone, "That's the last one, doctors. Looks like there's no danger to cutting the cables physically. Doesn't seem to be connected to anything else."

"Thank you," Dr. Warai told him. He and Dr. Rara and Dr. Sanada readied themselves to sever cables which, according to what Slade had just learned, were feeding power to the shield blocking the secure room. That was their hope.

"You're welcome," Slade replied. He was moving through hangar by pushing himself off of walls, ceilings, and floors since the hangar's artificial gravity was off. "I'll help fight in your stead, Kazuki."

"There's another combat mecha left?" Kazuki was confused, but remembered even as the words left him.

"Himc's left. I'll take Himc," Kent said as he propelled himself towards Himc's berth.

This universe had only one piece of genuine artifact technology remaining, Zinv. The expedition had quite a bit of technology derived from what people could remember of the artifacts, and they had constructed combat mecha similar to what could be found in the artifact. The Himc aboard the Voyageur was a replica of the original, and seriously underpowered in comparison. This Himc was therefore somewhat disappointing for Slade to pilot, and the other pilots had too many negative memories of Himc to want it.

All that was as nothing now. His wife and his friends, old and new, were in danger. It was time to put aside his pride in having commanded Himc the behemoth and start using Himc the weak. He wouldn't let pride rule him, as it had when he had stubbornly worked for the RaRa Army despite moral qualms. Kent would not stand by while Ayuko once again tried to seize the power of the artifact, and control of all humanity.

Slade muttered to himself, "If I ever hear anyone complain about their mother-in-law," without finishing.

* * *

Ayuko's Darling Wave antenna was located where Dr. Hayase had anticipated, but they soon found it was protected by a shield as well.

"Slow down!" Ryla cautioned, "We'll hit the shield!"

"It can't have much power, we'll break through it," Dr. Hayase guessed.

As she realized what the combat mecha were attacking, Ayuko frowned. She carefully aimed every cannon in range.

* * *

Dr. Rara, Dr. Sanada, and Dr. Warai were still panting from their run as they quickly removed a wall cover in another location on the ship. The cables they had to cut, being relatively far from the shield generator around the secure room, were some distance from each other. Every second that they could save would mean Kazuki could act that much sooner.

* * *

"Fire into the shield and dodge!" Mits said firmly, and the combat mecha did so. The shots crashed into the shield around the Darling Wave antenna, which overloaded and was burnt out. The dodge helped them avoid Ayuko's counterattack, but they were still in range of her weapons. Ayuko prepared to fire again.

Himc emerged from the hangar bay. Slade carefully played his medium-range beam along Ayuko's weapons, carefully selecting a power level and sweeping quickly with his beam to destroy the weapons and keep the ship's hull intact. The hull was heavily armored, but he didn't want to depend on that. Ayuko was surprised by Himc's sudden appearance, and the others took the opportunity to destroy the Darling Wave antenna.

* * *

There was barely time for Ayuko to realize what had happened when the three exhausted doctors cut the last cable to the shield generator around the secure room. That shield fell from lack of power. Ayuko growled fiercely. She didn't even want to think about the irony involved. Her daughter, Dr. Hayase, the bodyguards, and Slade had been the backbone of the RaRa Army, which was supposed to give her dominance over the Earth. Instead they turned against her and frustrated her every move. Ayuko shot at the combat mecha outside the ship. She could continue to do that for quite some time.

* * *

"We need to get everybody back to the ship as soon as we can," panted Dr. Rara. "It'll take nearly all of us to strip Ayuko of her authority over life support."

Yayoi spoke, "Units 1 through 4 to Voyageur, we have nearly reached our ascent rockets, so we'll be returning to the ship shortly."

"Kazuki," Mrs. Nanjyoin told him, "I think it's safe for you to attack Ayuko's other forces down there. Her antenna is down, so she won't know you hit them."

"Right," Kazuki agreed. He ran towards the habitat on Loki's surface, which had a shield around it. The shield had been placed by the exploratory mecha which had sided with Ayuko. Two of them now remained.

Mrs. Nanjyoin relayed to Kazuki the intelligence sent by the loyal people within the habitat, "The shield generator should be on top of the habitat. One of the exploratory mecha is to the right of the habitat, and the other is to the left."

Kazuki said gratefully, "Thank you, Mrs. Nanjyoin." The cliff Zinv stood before was only about as tall as it was. Zinv jumped up and quickly hauled himself over the edge.

He was only a short distance from the habitat and the shield around it. Zinv fired a gravitational shell tangential to the shield. The shot only struck the shield at one point and impacted on the landscape well in the distance. The massive amount of energy needed to repulse the gravitational shell was too much for the shield's internal components, and it overloaded and collapsed.

Only now were the exploratory mecha turning around, but it was already too late for them. Zinv was incredibly fast on his own, and with Kazuki there to provide light-hawk wings, it moved too quickly to see. One moment the exploratory mecha stood there, trying to position their slow robots to fire on Zinv. The next moment they had collapsed to the ground, their power packs missing.

The backup pilots in the habitat cheered.

Zinv was already hurrying back to the rocket that would be used to move Zinv back into orbit, back to the Voyageur. D, Mitsuki Sanada, Yayoi, and Mitsuki Rara were already heading back to the Voyageur on their rockets. The backup pilots, now free to move, were repacking their equipment for when it would be safe to return to the Voyageur. The shuttle hovered a safe distance from the Voyageur. Kazuki listened with concern to the progress of the combat mecha fighting near the Voyageur.

* * *

"Trying to clear a path back to the hangar," Slade grunted, firing his medium-range beam again. He had tried using his tentacle earlier, but it was ineffective in this situation and had been shot. Kent moved slightly to the side to make himself a more difficult target. Several beams knifed past him, only a short distance above the Himc replica's vestigial light-hawk wings.

"Careful out there!" Dr. Sanada panted as he and Dr. Rara and Dr. Warai trotted into the secure room. "I'd rather not find out if you can pierce the Voyageur's armor."

"The hangar can't be used without destroying some of the lasers," Dr. Hayase pointed out as she carefully shot out two of Ayuko's weapons. The bodyguard trio's jewel-cannon robot managed to destroy one before they were forced to dodge several others. The jewel-cannon, as well as Dr. Hayase and Mits, were near the wreckage of Ayuko's Darling Wave antenna, pinned down by the remaining cannons. Himc was near the hangar, evading other laser cannons and trying to destroy them in turn.

"We'll be there soon," Mitsuki Rara encouraged them. "We're going to help."

"Cover us so we can get into the hangar and retrieve our weapons," Yayoi requested.

"Affirmative," Kent affirmed.

Zinv was rising through the atmosphere on his rocket. Kazuki added all the speed Zinv could muster, saying, "Zinv and I are almost there."

Units 1, 2, 3, and 4 emerged from the atmosphere of Loki and jettisoned their rockets. Himc covered their entry into the hangar, but even this new and improved version of Himc had slow weapon reload times. The combat mecha took several hits before they were in the hangar safely.

As they retrieved their guns, they heard Mena wonder aloud, "Our shots are bouncing off that section of the ship!"

Mits exclaimed as she flipped around to avoid several cannons, realized, "It must be another one of Ayuko's shields!"

"It's protecting the weapons near the hangar!" Dr. Hayase confirmed, blowing up the last remaining weapons near the shield with a grenade.

Slade cried out in pain, then added, "I'm taking a beating from them. They'll cut into Himc's vital systems soon."

Zinv emerged from the atmosphere at the same time as Mitsuki Sanada, Mitsuki Rara, D, and Yayoi boiled out of the hangar. While the latter four struck at the shield, Zinv flew towards the Voyageur at incredible speed. The shield was soon broken, and Zinv and the others proceeded to lay waste to the weapons inside it.

"No! Argh! Unggh!" Ayuko shrieked, as she fired every weapon that had just been exposed. She had the bribed maintenance crews install quite a few of them inside the protection of the shield. There were only so many shields she could've place on the ship's exterior without someone noticing before her putsch.

The high concentration of laser cannons, and the many combat mecha in the area, meant that there were plenty of targets for both sides. Several of the mecha became seriously damaged, and many of the laser cannons were broken to bits by bullets and explosions. Both sides launched withering fusillades at each other.

Realizing all hope for victory through direct battle was lost, Ayuko kept firing weapons with one hand and reached her other hand out to the controls she had mapped to life support.

Before her hand could reach it, a flood of material poured out of the ship in a torrent. No one on the Voyageur or in the combat mecha was quite sure who was screaming, everyone was screaming at once. The combat mecha were either shoved aside or used their thrusters to move away quickly. The Voyageur pitched sharply away from the combat mecha. Inside the ship, people were thrown to the floor, unsecured items flew across rooms. The Voyageur shot towards Loki, propelled by the gaseous cloud emanating at high speed from a fissure on its side formed in the blast.


	53. Pioneers Ch 9

Chapter 9:

The panicked cries and shouts finally died down into a horrified silence as the Voyageur plunged steeply towards the planet Loki.

D broke the silence that had formed by asking in a scream, "What happened!"

Dr. Warai lurched off the floor of the control room to bellow, "Ayuko, what have you done now! What insanity led you to do whatever this is?"

Ayuko, who had patched into the general comm system to learn what had happened, shrieked hysterically, "I'm not crazy! I'm not doing this!"

"Everyone be quiet!" Dr. Sanada shouted.

"Mrs. Sanada, Mrs. Nanjyoin, what's going on up there!" Dr. Rara said in a raised voice.

Mrs. Nanjyoin breathed sharply as she pulled her aching frame off of the console where she had been hurled. Akane didn't know if her own wrist was sprained or fractured. Gritting her teeth, Akane replied, "Ken, from what readouts we can still access, it looks like we're being pushed towards the planet."

Dr. Warai gasped. "The fuel tanks. All the shooting ruptured a fuel tank."

Kent spoke angrily. "Yes, Ayuko, you put the biggest cluster of your weapons on top of a fuel tank. All of the shooting around here pierced the hull and the pressure tank. The fuel shot out and it's pushing you into the planet."

"Perhaps you shouldn't have been using so many heavy weapons near the ship-" Ayuko began.

Dr. Rara cut her off, "Same to you. Now we need to figure a way out of this." He, Dr. Sanada and Dr. Warai had rushed out of the secure room and were using the closest computers to access their systems, but the logins, as they were designed to do, were taking precious time.

"Can the ship survive a crash landing?" Mena asked, her voice full of worry.

Dr. Sanada said reassuringly, "Hey, we've got tons of built-in shields and piles of armor. We should be fine."

Dr. Rara said witheringly, "Stupid Sanada! The ship may survive, but we may not. The crew will be flung all over the place."

"Even with all the thrusters, the Voyageur never return to orbit once she hits the ground," Slade said grimly.

Dr. Rara suggested, "Let's use our thrusters to bring us back to orbit."

Dr. Warai's console had finally accepted him, and he was able to look at damage reports. "I'm afraid that's impossible. Several of the thrusters were accidentally destroyed along with Ayuko's weaponry. There's not enough thrust."

Dr. Sanada now made his attempt at a suggestion. "Well, we've still got the faster-than-light engines, don't we? Let's just go back to Earth."

Plath's unwelcomed opinion came onto the communications system. She was walking on the planet's surface in her spacesuit towards the now-empty habitat. "Hey! We're still down here! You can't just leave us!"

Dr. Warai was so miserable that he actually didn't hear this ear-wrenching plea. He choked as he reported, "You don't understand. The fuel tanks were for the main engines. The fuel didn't only vent through the hull, some of it blew back into the engines, causing severe damage."

For a moment there was silence, then Alice gave a piercing sob.

Mitsuki Sanada seemed to have to kick each reluctant word out of her mouth to speak. "We can't go home?"

"You can fix it, can't you!" Ayuko hollered.

Dr. Warai's hands curled into fists. His vehement tirade issued suddenly: "We've lost half our fuel, we're plummeting towards an alien planet, and my diagnostic equipment is shot. I don't know if I can fix it! Certainly not before we hit!"

Dr. Rara set his face like stone. "We've got to abandon ship."

Dr. Warai turned away with a look of terrible pain, "You've killed my Voyageur, Ayuko."

Mitsuki Rara said urgently, "Dad! If we do that, there's no chance we'll ever get back to Earth!"

Mrs. Nanjyoin spoke in her usual calm tone, though each breath seemed to pain her, "Our equipment will at least allow us to live. We can mine ice on the planet and in space for water and oxygen."

"I don't want to live next to all those people Mother paid off!" Mits was alarmed. "They might try to kill us!"

Yayoi thought aloud, "We will have to decide what to do with the traitors."

Ayuko frantically spoke, "I never, ever, suggested killing any of you. Never. It was just like the old days, we just wanted to disable you."

Mits asked suddenly, "Kent? Kent, are you all right? You haven't spoken!"

Kent spoke slowly. "I've been trying to figure out if I, or any of us in robots, can even survive reentry. Himc's pretty badly beaten up, and all the heat shields for our robots are aboard the Voyageur."

"The shuttles can pick us up!" D insisted.

"They don't have much fuel left either, and oxygen is going to be a precious commodity if we lose the Voyageur," Kent's words were almost glacial. They flowed out steadily, but emerged in broken and ragged chunks. "That's why, in the order of people to be picked up by the shuttles-"

"Mitsuki, you have to make him stop!" Ryla said quickly. "He's going to try to sacrifice himself if you don't make him stop!"

Alice wailed, "Nothing's supposed to end like this! We finally all were together! We were happy! There weren't any more giant robots destroying things, we were all friends! Dr. Hayase, isn't there any way to keep us all together!"

Dr. Hayase swallowed, and fought to keep back the tears in her own eyes as she gave the last suggestion. "Can all of the robots and shuttles working together pull you back?"

"You'll be burned up by the heat of reentering the atmosphere before you can pull us back," Dr. Warai said despondently.

"Why aren't we abandoning ship?" Dr. Rara asked rhetorically of himself and everyone else still on the ship. He smiled ruefully.

Rhetorical questions aren't supposed to be answered. Everyone had expected that there would be a gloomy silence, or piteous wailing. Instead, there was a tremendously loud sound, perfectly audible to every human in the vicinity of Loki.

"That's Zinv," Dr. Sanada whispered.

Dr. Warai was astonished to find he could still laugh. "But in space, no one can hear you roar!"

Mrs. Nanjyoin watched as Zinv once again transmitted his roar over the communication system. The angrily determined mouth of Kazuki announced, "There's nothing to worry about now. We're all going to be all right, and we're all going home. Zinv and I will draw the Voyageur towards our mini black hole."

Now there was utter silence.

It was with great difficulty that Dr. Sanada broke it by asking nervously, "Kazuki, you're claiming that's supposed to help the situation?"


	54. Pioneers Ch 10

Chapter 10:

Mitsuki Sanada yelled in sudden fury, "Kazuki, did you think at all about what you're saying? Suck up my father and everyone else into a black hole!"

Yayoi stridently objected, "I'm surprised at you, Kazuki. I think they'd rather take their chances with the atmosphere and the crash landing rather than be squished in a black hole."

"What?" Kazuki was astonished, then started waving his hands frantically. "No, no, you're totally misunderstanding me!"

"If you deploy that thing near us," Kent spoke in the hushed tones of a man in absolute terror, "we'll get sucked into it too!"

"Kazuki," Ayuko pleaded in an unsteady voice, "please, I'll make it up to you, give you all the money you ever want, all the dresses you ever want, don't kill me with your black hole, please don't-"

Zinv roared again, silencing the burst of chatter.

"Dresses?" D was perplexed.

"Suits! Suits! Not dresses! I must've been thinking of myself!" Ayuko giggled hysterically. "It was a natural mistake, I'm very distracted. What do you say, Kazuki? Please?"

"I'm not going to suck you into the black hole!" Kazuki yelled. "I'm not stupid! I'm going to use the black hole to pull the Voyageur out of the atmosphere and back towards us. From there, you can make it into a stable orbit, right?"

"That might work," Dr. Rara said. "Yeah, it might!" Dr. Sanada agreed. "Let's try it!" they said together.

"Wait!" Dr. Warai gazed at them stupefied. "There's a huge crack in the ship! If he uses a black hole on us, the stress could rip us apart!"

"And all the robots around Kazuki will still get sucked towards the black hole," Akane commented, feeling as though she had entered a world of madness.

Mitsuki Rara inquired, "Kazuki, can the two of you really do it?"

"It's the only chance we have of keeping everyone alive and the possibility of going home," Kazuki spoke firmly.

"What are you waiting for?" Mitsuki Sanada peeved. "Go ahead and do it!"

Kazuki frowned. "You're the one who said-"

"I believe we've changed our minds," Yayoi informed him.

"I haven't!" Dr. Warai spoke up. "How does Zinv ever escape from his own black hole, anyway?"

Dr. Rara looked in puzzlement at him. "He always has before."

"We shall wish you will return safely again," Mrs. Nanjyoin told Kazuki.

"I suppose," Kent was relieved that Kazuki wasn't proposing to vacuum them all into oblivion, "we in combat mecha could all move away so there'll be less risk of you sucking us up."

As the other robots moved away and Zinv flew rapidly towards the falling Voyageur, D's voice could be heard: "I want to say something before the end. Goodbye everyone, and thanks for taking me into your family."

"I wouldn't have had it any other way, D," Akane sniffed.

"Ooh, ooh," Alice hooted, "I want to say goodbye to everyone too, and I have something to confess. Mitsuki Sanada, I'm sorry I let Kumu play in your room and break so many of your things."

In D's cabin aboard the Voyageur, Kumu barked in an offended manner at the active communication system relaying these words.

"Kumu, be a good dog, Kazuki's coming to help you," D soothed her through the microphone on Unit 3. This reassurance only provoked Kumu into a rapid burst of yaps and growls.

"That was you!" Mitsuki Sanada was enraged. "I blamed D for letting her loose! Why did you even let her play in the house-"

"Well, it's Ms. Mitsuki's room too," Mena defended her comrade, "and we didn't think that Kumu could be that rambunctious. Kumu's such a cute puppy, of course she wants to play, and we were just trying to play with her. Besides, it was Ryla who missed her shot-"

Ryla was scandalized. "I did not! I made a bullseye, but you two hadn't secured the dartboard to the wall properly. It fell and hit Kumu, and of course that upset her!"

Kumu barked firmly and affirmatively.

This revelation of the use of the space she and the other Mitsuki shared astonished Mitsuki Rara. "You were playing darts in our room?"

"Um, can somebody tell me where I ought to aim the black hole so I don't break the ship?" Kazuki asked. "Dr. Sanada, maybe?"

Dr. Sanada was too busy saying, "Why didn't you just use Kumu as a target?"

"Ken!" Akane scolded him. "Just kidding!" Dr. Sanada assured them all. "That's not funny, Dad," D huffed. Kumu growled agreement.

"I knew we shouldn't have given them so much time off," Ayuko was murmuring. Dr. Rara caught this and said sharply, "They're not our slaves! I'm sure they needed relaxation after the stress of tending to your every whim!"

Ayuko's voice rose in volume and pitch. "What did you say? What are you talking about? They're our daughter's bodyguards, and they don't-"

"I'm talking about when you took over the RaRa Army-" Dr. Rara roared back.

"Let it go, little boy, it was two universes ago," Ayuko said disparagingly.

"One universe ago!" Dr. Rara returned.

"Guys?" Kazuki's plaintive voice could hardly be heard over the rising noise.

"I can't hear Kazuki!" Dr. Warai complained. "Or concentrate!"

Dr. Hayase repeated for the tenth time, "Kazuki, can you say again? I couldn't hear your question."

Mrs. Nanjyoin was trying to take people off the communication system. Unfortunately for her, the system was designed to automatically put people back on when they spoke. The tide of this battle was against her.

Zinv's annoyance registered in Kazuki's mind. So this was the world they were trying to save. Apparently there were always going to be problems like this. Maybe, also, what Alice said was really true, that all of them were generally happy to be together like this. There was no way of knowing that, of course. The gang might split apart, in the next few seconds or the next few years. There was no way even mecha commanding giant grenade launchers, tentacles, the weather, and black holes, could prevent that.

For now, all he knew was that people he cherished were plunging through the atmosphere towards danger. He and Zinv wanted to change that. When they had, they would have to treasure every moment they spent with everybody. Just in case someday they did have to separate, because of how they had to die or how they had to live.

Kazuki and Zinv could feel their thoughts reach rapid agreement on that subject. If they were to help the Voyager, it had to be immediately.

"Yeah, Zinv, let's do our best right now." Even Zinv's roar couldn't completely quell the chatter, but it helped. Red lightning arced between Zinv's fingers, and a small black sphere appeared in the midst of the lightning. The red-hot hull of the Voyageur quickly halted its plummet, then began to retreat backwards. Winds reversed direction as the atmosphere in the locality was sucked into the black hole. The combat mecha and the shuttle hung back, watching and hoping.

The Voyageur was lifted up, out of the atmosphere of the planet. Zinv had expanded the black hole to be about as large as Zinv himself. Now the Voyageur was coursing quickly towards the black hole. The collective intake of worried breath mirrored the intake of the black hole as it continued to suck up parts of the atmosphere.

The darkness of the black hole expanded briefly, and then entirely collapsed. Zinv reappeared to many delighted cries of, "Kazuki!" Dr. Sanada and Dr. Rara quickly worked out a stable orbit and fired the undamaged thrusters accordingly.

Once again, the communication system was filled with chatter. This time, the chatter was happy and excited.

* * *

On the planet below, Plath spat into the communication system, heard but unregarded, "You're leaving us! All your talk of justice, and you're still leaving us!"

Akane finally heard her and told her, "Don't worry, Ms. Plath. I'm sure we can arrange to pick you up especially. In fact, I think we'd have quite a few volunteers for such a mission."

Plath began to breathe quickly. "Erm, well, actually, I was just condemning your thoughtlessness. I didn't want you to pick me up. I was thinking I might stay here. You wouldn't want to waste any precious fuel or anything getting me. I've got plenty of oxygen, don't worry about me. Take your time, there's no rush! Don't try and feign moral superiority by coming and picking me up after I mentioned it!"


	55. Pioneers Ch 11

Chapter 11:

In the secure room, the Executive Council formally stripped Ayuko of her powers, and she watched angrily in her quarters as her control over life support evaporated.

Dr. Rara asked her, "So, are you coming out?" She was protected inside the last remaining shield on the Voyageur.

"No, I am not." Ayuko was petulant. "This room is well stocked with food and amenities, so I'll live. I'll live in complete contentment." She closed the channel.

"I'll cut the wires to her shield myself!" Mitsuki Sanada's eyes were aflame.

Dr. Warai winced as though someone were suggesting the severing of his own arteries. "I don't know if the Voyageur can be repaired as it is!" he exclaimed. "If we cut any more wires, we may never get home!"

"It's not as though we particularly want her company anyways," Dr. Rara shrugged.

Mits looked worried. "I also don't want the company of whoever she bribed. Most of the crew is still on the ship, and some of them must have helped her."

Kent nodded. "We may need to risk cutting the cables. Not much point to getting back home if we're overwhelmed from inside the ship."

The bodyguard trio had been whispering a few moments, and now their faces were bright and proud. "Ayuko knows who the traitors are," Ryla said. "She doesn't know that we don't want to take down her shield!"

"What're you suggesting?" Dr. Sanada scratched the back of his head.

Alice undertook an imitation of a man's voice, saying, "Ayuko, if you don't come out I'll smash and sever until your shield is down!"

Mena said in an alarmed falsetto, "Oh, please don't! I'll tell you who I bribed to install all of the shields and weapons!"

Kent raised his eyebrows. Mrs. Nanjyoin nodded, "That is an excellent suggestion. Allow me to conduct the negotiations while the repairs take place."

It took another week to make the repairs to the main engines to Dr. Warai's satisfaction, but they were done and he declared the Voyageur able to return to Earth. Fortunately, there was just enough fuel left for this.

Ayuko had, astonishingly enough, given up her accomplices within a few hours. Some people theorized that she hadn't, in fact, disclosed all of the people she had bribed. Others claimed that she had come to accept her loss and feared reprisal so much that she was willing to make broad concessions. It was impossible to know for sure: Ayuko maintained her shield and her sullen silence. This bothered no one.

A few of Ayuko's accomplices stole escape pods and successfully reached the surface, joining Plath and the other defeated exploratory mecha pilots. This gave Dr. Sanada the idea of deporting the rest of the malcontents to the planet's surface to start a colony. They were rounded out of the makeshift jail that had been thrown up in some of the crew quarters, put onto a shuttle, and made to file off the shuttle. There were a lot of surly looks in the crowd, and no one wanted to think about what might've occurred without the steely countenances of Zinv, and the rest of the combat mecha, looking on. In any event, the shuttle returned safely to the Voyageur, filled instead with the loyal backup pilots who had been trapped in the habitat.

Akane got an earful of screeching from Plath when that shuttle load of mutineers joined the rest of Ayuko's party in the habitat. Plath's complaint was that these crewpeople had gotten the impression that the deportation was Plath's idea, and now she was the target of dirty looks and hatred. Mrs. Nanjyoin simply cut the transmission. Akane couldn't think of anything to say. Plath was the one who had refused to return, after all.

Ayuko stirred in her quarters this once to comment via the communication system to the Executive Committee, "Are you sure you want the first interstellar presence of mankind to be a penal colony?"

Kent had answered off the top of his head, "It seems appropriate to me." Whether it was because his statement was incomprehensible or no one wanted to talk to Ayuko, nobody else said anything. Ayuko signed herself off.

During the remainder of the scheduled month that the Voyageur's mission was supposed to last, the remaining people used fully robotic probes to continue exploring Loki, and also to keep an eye on Ayuko's people. To be safe, the wrecked exploratory mecha were placed aboard the Voyageur.

At the end of the month, the Voyageur checked once more that the habitat had all its life support equipment functioning. The check confirmed that the malcontents would be able to survive indefinitely upon the surface of Loki.

With the check complete, Dr. Rara entered the coordinates for Earth orbit, and Dr. Sanada activated the main engines. In the next instant, they were home.

Spontaneously, from all over the ship, and from enthusiastic supporters on the Earth, applause broke out. The Voyageur had returned home, missing nearly half its crew, all its expensive fuel gone, with a huge crack in its side.

"I think that was the best family vacation we've ever been on, Dad!" D enthused.

"Yeah, when are we going to go again?" Kazuki asked excitedly.

"Perhaps when Kazuki gets caught up on his schoolwork," Yayoi hinted.

Mitsuki Sanada laughed at Kazuki. "He's never going to get caught up. He'll just have to drop out of school."

Akane noticed that Ayuko had finally turned off her shield and was preparing to leave the ship. "Are we just going to let Ayuko go?" she asked aloud.

"She can't hurt us now," Dr. Rara affirmed unconcernedly. Slade and Dr. Warai wore expressions that conveyed very different ideas, but said nothing.

Mitsuki Rara suggested, "Maybe we could all help Kazuki with his schoolwork."

"He's never going to learn if we do it for him!" Mitsuki Sanada protested.

D stood up, "Who's going to help me unload all of Kumu's dog food from the ship?"

Mits asked the entire room, "Weren't we thinking of going to Alpha Centauri next year?"

Kazuki just sat in his seat, smiled, and let his thoughts drift. Who knew? Maybe he had just been too pessimistic these last few months. Everyone might actually be able to, and want to, stay with each other, despite irritations and close quarters. Maybe they would all get another chance to explore the stars, free from internal strife and the probability of death. For now, he and Zinv were happy to have gone into space and returned home.

Pioneers ends here, as does the larger story. All that remains now is the epilogue, a delirious parody of the larger story. It will include more lame attempts at humor and failures to resolve the climax. The epilogue will be posted tomorrow.

* * *

**Ending Credits:**

Great minds think alike. I did read several Dual fanfictions after I had the ideas for writing mine, but I had my ideas first and tried not to steal. "Dual! What Is This Emotion Love? When We Least Expect It Pt. 2," by COHugh, has Ms. Hayase becoming a doctor, a title she richly deserves. Also, Clayton Overstreet's "Dual Episode 15 Decision" came to the same conclusion I had independently; Yayoi would be able to pilot a robot in the synthesis world. Also, I believe many fanfictions, including "Interstellar Dual!" by Xtor49 and Thorin Blauvelt recognized the bizarre web of family relations that now exists in the synthesis universe.

Acknowledgements:

I'd like to thank and acknowledge my beta readers Blue Comet and Shiori Hitohana for putting up with my initial versions of my stories.

The Dual DVD (Digital Video Disc) extras and the "Dual! Ultimate Fan Guide" by Guardians of Order proved extremely helpful to me. If I misinterpreted them, it's my fault.

Scott Adams' book "The Joy of Work" has helped me to be funnier. I still need a lot of coaching before I actually become funny, but the book did its best.

I'd also like to thank the movie Alien for its famous tag line "In space, no one can hear you scream" for promoting good drama and accurate science at the same time.

The following articles helped me to have a somewhat factual basis for this science fiction story. Blame me first for inaccuracies or insanities. I deserve it.

On aerial planetary probes:

IEEE Spectrum, Vol. 43, no. 3 (NA), March 2006, p. 43 "Halfway to Mars" by Jean Kumagi

On computer security:

IEEE Spectrum, Volume 43, no. 1 (NA), January 2006, p. 42-43. "Loser: Britain's Identity Crisis" by Erico Guizzo.

On gravitational constant and other constants:

Google Calculator

"Physics for Scientists and Engineers" by Serway and Jewett, 6th Edition, Thompson Brooks/Cole

On Bent, Winter 2005, Spring 2006, and Summer 2006 issues

Celebrity Watch (http://countdownonline.tv/celebritylink05full.htm)

Marx Brothers and The Phantom of the Opera

Webster's New World Dictionary and Thesaurus

Wikipedia: Arabic name, List of Korean Family Names, Married and maiden names, Vietnamese Name

On The Use Of Characters:

Finally, please feel free to use these characters and ideas in your own fanfictions. Do it in your head or in writing, whether you liked how I did the story or not. As I understand it, since it's a fanfiction, I own nothing within the story anyways. Of course, I haven't exactly consulted a lawyer about that. Don't depend on me for your legal advice!


	56. Epilogue Act I

An Epilogue  
In which the author abandons his good sense and heretofore coherent style  
And Puts Himself In the story instead of sticking to Third Person Omniscient

Act I

In the habitat of the penal colony on the planet Loki, Plath says, "All right, who's going to go mine some ice today?"

There is a sullen silence.

Plath is annoyed. She exclaims, "What is this, kindergarden? You gather the ice, you put the ice in the machine, and you get to drink the water you need to survive! If you don't help gather the ice, then you don't get to-"

An irritated mutineer grouses, "All right! Just stop that horrible screeching." The irritated person goes to the airlock and begins to pull on a spacesuit.

Plath screeches, "Screeching? Who's screeching?" Plath goes on and on while everyone in the habitat attempts to ignore her.

* * *

Now for a much more pleasant scene, though it makes no more sense than the last: the Sanada residence. It has been decorated for a party. Most of the cast is sitting around in the living room.

Dr. Sanada says, "Let's begin this Epilogue."

Mitsuki S. says, "We ended the main story inconclusively again?"

Yayoi replies, "Apparently so. But that can be a good thing. After all, now people are free to use their imaginations to create their own ending, the one that would please them best."

Mitsuki S. counters, "But once again, we didn't address the main question: who gets Kazuki?"

Mrs. Nanjyoin suggests, "Well, why don't we let that be part of what the readers imagine?"

Mitsuki S. is adamant: "I'm not going to leave Kazuki up to them. We've got to get this settled."

Kazuki is aggrieved, "Stop talking about me like I'm not in the room! Why don't I decide myself?"

The bodyguard trio enters the room.

Mitsuki R. looks at them. "Where's my sister and her husband? They won't want to miss this."

Mits enters the room and apologizes, "We're very sorry for making you all wait. Kent's going to be a little longer. He's trying to reverse some weird charges on our credit card. Something about four orders from a floral shop."

Kazuki glares at the bodyguard trio. The bodyguard trio guiltily glares at each other.

Alice whispers defensively, "I ordered them in Kazuki's name! I knew we shouldn't have used that shop, they're always getting things wrong."

Mena whispers back, "You mixed up yours and Ms. Mitsuki's purses again, didn't you?"

Alice is still whispering defensively, "They look very alike! And no one ever checks the name on a credit card when they assume it's theirs!"

* * *

Now for another scene: the front walk of the Sanada home.

Kent Slade catches sight of Stetson, Hino, and Takei: he calls out, "Hey! How have you all been doing!"

All together, they call back, "Just fine!"

Hino jokes, "What is this, an otaku character convention?" All four of them laugh.

Stetson addresses the audience and says, "I suppose I should explain for our viewers at home that an otaku character is one that a fan made up for a fanfiction, rather than one that already existed within the official work."

Slade whispers, "Who is he talking to?"

Takei shrugs, "He likes to pretend he's on television sometimes."

Stetson returns to the group.

Slade says, "Well, I know you guys were handling security at the spaceship launch site, but I've been so busy making the spaceship I haven't heard what else you've been up to!"

Takei tells him, "Ever since all the universes came together, we decided to pool all of our security knowledge and make an enterprise out of it. We became private security contractors, and Dr. Rara was nice enough to give us a lot of his business. That's why we were chosen to head up security at the launch site."

Hino apologetically inquires, "Look, Slade, no hard feelings about taking you prisoner back in Chapter 6 of RaRa Army, right?"

Slade informs them, "None at all. I mean, in the long run, it was good for me. I mean, the Author couldn't figure out any other way to get me into the pilot seat of a robot, and piloting can be pretty fun. And, I never got to tell you this, all that time in the tent I was thinking, 'If I were Hino, I wouldn't believe a word I was saying.'"

They shake hands.

Slade comments, "Well, I guess we better get on over to the house. The party's gonna be starting soon."

* * *

At the Sanada house, Takei, Hino, and Stetson are starting on the buffet prepared for the party. Slade has joined the others in the living room.

Dr. Warai says good humoredly, "We started without you Slade, hope you don't mind."

Slade replies with mock anger, "You're just trying to make me late again." He next calmly asks, "So, what'd I miss?"

D tells him conspiratorially, "We were waiting on you: we're going to decide who gets Kazuki!"

Slade laughs, "Wouldn't have missed that for the world!"

Ayuko comments, "I haven't been able to shake the feeling, Slade, that you're just wish fulfillment for the author."

Dr. Hayase doesn't understand her. "Wish fulfillment?"

Dr. Sanada does understand. "Oh, I get what you mean. Like how he gets to pilot robots and marries Mitsuki Rara and stuff."

Dr. Warai points out, "A twin sister of Mitsuki Rara."

Dr. Rara remembers, "I'll never remember why we named both of the twins Mitsuki Rara. That was one confusing childhood for them and us. I'd call, 'Mitsuki,' and three people would show up."

Dr. Warai doesn't get this. "Three?"

Mitsuki Sanada explains, "I'd come running because Uncle Rara never bothered to say whether he wanted me or my cousins!"

Mitsuki R. elaborates, "We were never sure either, it was easier for both of us to come."

Slade notes good-humoredly, "If it is wish fulfillment, I'm not complaining! It worked out for me! I married a nice girl, got to have one story where I was the protagonist, had an epic battle with the good guy, and even after giving him some solid blows, got the enemy conversion treatment so we're best buddies now! Not every character has wish fulfillment work out like that for them."

Yayoi agrees, "True. Some authors use a fanfiction to kill the characters they don't like. You were very fortunate indeed."

Mitsuki S. recalls, "That reminds me, that author was being pretty pushy, making my death the beginning of the series."

Ayuko nods. "I agree. On the one hand, our tragic deaths were rather touching, but on the other hand, it seemed to be expressing a wish that we were both dead."

The Author, though unseen, replies in a thunderous voice, "Now that's a distortion! I just had that in there so we wouldn't have too many Mitsukis and to give Slade a different entry into the world of robots than what Kazuki had! You were always alive in the synthesis world, weren't you? If I hated you, I would have killed you off there too. I mentioned your continued existence in the author's note, and I even started off the interlude immediately following the news of your death with proof that you were both still alive!"

Dr. Warai skeptically thinks aloud, "Yeah, but if you actually put time and effort into it, you could've found another way the same effects could've been done, right?"

The Author, though unseen, in a thunderous and petulant voice declares, "Write your own fanfiction then, Mr. Smartypants!"

Dr. Warai notes with dissapointment, "Not only was that incredibly childish and a failure to answer my question, it was also incredibly dated slang to boot. I'm glad you didn't using anything like that in the actual story, you know?"

The Author, though unseen, snickers in a thunderous voice.

Dr. Warai is angrily amazed. "That is unfair! You used your creative license to add dated and overused slang to the end of my sentence! Gee whiz!"

The Author, still unseen, laughs heartily in a thunderous voice.

Dr. Warai shouts, "Cut that out!"

Author, continuing in unseenness, laughs maniacally and thunderously.

The jewelry store manager enters, with the hapless jewelry store saleswoman in tow. The saleswoman, remembering her experiences from Interlude 12, would rather not be anywhere near Ayuko, while the manager only wants to get close to her.

The Manager begins fawning over Ayuko, "I wonder why it is that Mitsuki Rara always is the love interest? For Slade and for Kazuki?"

Yayoi stiffly contends, "There are other candidates for Kazuki's love interests."

D brightly points out, "Lots of them!"

Akane wonders aloud, "Who are you two, and what are you doing in our house?"

The Saleswoman, pointing to the Manager, hurriedly clarifies, "I'm not with her!"

The Saleswoman quickly flees to the buffet.

The Manager goes on, "I just heard that there was going to be a big party for the whole cast of the fanfiction here, and I just knew I had to be here to help Mrs. Rara in any way possible." She says unctuously, "I'm not surprised the boys always like your daughter-"

Yayoi again points out, "They like some other women too-"

Kumu stirs herself from D's lap and walks over to Mitsuki Rara.

Kumu speaks, "Why is it that you betrayed your poor mother and myself? Why do the guys always like you and not me? Kazuki Yotsuga destroyed the parallel world. Men are evil, they are so destructive. They're the enemy, the enemy, the enemy, the enemy, the enemy..."

Ryla is confused: "Didn't we do this gag already?"

(Indeed we did, back when Ayuko and Kumu were discussing in Chapter 8 of RaRa Army whether to make Slade a pilot. The Author just wanted to do it again!)

Kazuki realizes, "Hey, wait a minute, Kumu's a dog now! How are we understanding her talk?"

Kumu barks back, "...the enemy, the enemy, the enemy..."

Dr. Warai notes, "None of what Kumu just said, or any part of this epilogue, makes any sense, which makes it the perfect end to the fanfiction. Like, totally!"

Dr. Warai claps his hand to his mouth, aggravated, while the Author, unseen, laughs.

Kumu barks, "...the enemy, the enemy..."

Kazuki decides this may be the only chance to ask, "Kumu, why do you keep biting me, but you've always liked Kent?"

Slade, also curious, adds his voice. "Yeah, I've wondered about that too."

Kumu doesn't seem to have heard them: she still barks, "...the enemy, the enemy..."

The doorbell rings. Kumu, frustrated, leaves the room. D answers the door and is surprised to see Mr. Kamikochi and his mother. Mr. Kamikochi smiles.

Kamikochi's Mom says to D, "Why, darling, you're adorable! Are you Ms. Schwael's little sister?"

D replies courteously, "No, ma'am. I suppose you are both here for the epilogue party?"

Kamikochi's Mom trills, "That is indeed why we've come. Oh, you're so precious, your mother must be so proud of you." She and her son accompany D inside. "I know I'm certainly proud of my son here. He's simply a master of all sorts of sports. Why hello, Ms. Schwael, Mrs. Nanjyoin, Cmdr. Sanada!"

They reach the living room. Yayoi is worried but tries to keep a neutral expression. Mrs. Nanjyoin is surprised but pleased. There is an interminable round of introductions. Kamikochi's mother and he himself sit down.

Mrs. Nanjyoin states, "I'm sure we're all very glad that you could make it to the epilogue."

Yayoi says for the sake of making conversation, "It must've been hard finding a nearby airstrip for your jet."

Kamikochi's Mom agrees, "Oh yes, it was. My son always says the Internet is a wonderful thing, but it was a little bit hard to land our private jet on the fanfiction here. I'm telling you, I'll just never get used to flying by instruments!"

She laughs heartily. To cover Ayuko's condescending snicker, Mrs. Nanjyoin, Mitsuki Sanada, and Yayoi suddenly burst into gales of laughter. Everyone in the room, except Kamikochi, looks in shock at Mrs. Nanjyoin not being totally composed. Sunlight reflects off of Kamikochi's teeth, still visible because he hasn't ceased grinning since the door.

Kamikochi's Mom continues her bizarre tale, "Of course, my son does know where to buy the best jets, and we made it here in one piece, as you can see." She turns to Yayoi, "You know dear, my son still hasn't found anyone, and is still very interested in-"

Kumu chooses this moment to walk into the room.

Kumu barks up a new subject, "The forces of technology are of particular interest to me. I still cannot comprehend why D has abandoned them."

Kamikochi's Mom, in shock, wonders, "Did your dog just talk?"

Akane helpfully, and fully conscious of the ridiculousness of the situation, explains, "She may just be barking intelligibly."

Kamikochi's Mom hasn't had any experience with this dog. "Barking intelligibly? You, you don't mean to say this dog is as smart as a human? How could that be possible?"

D tells her, "Both of us actually were sleeping inside an artifact for many years. Kumu used to be a small red ball, and I used to be bioroid that didn't have human emotions."

Mitsuki S. decides to explain further, "That was all before Kazuki merged the worlds together for the first time."

Kamikochi's mother blanches, while Kamikochi flops stiffly out of his seat, a smile still plastered on his face.

Slade screams in panic, "Aah! We've been talking to a dead body!"

Dr. Sanada says in an aside to the audience, "This brings back so many memories." To Kamikochi's Mom, he says, "All right, I guess we'll do it like last time. I'll take the left side and, er, Rara, you take the right."

The two men proceed to drag Kamikochi back to the limo, with Kamikochi's mother following them. Yayoi tries not to look relieved.

D offers the comment, "I think this means the party is going very well or very badly."


	57. Epilogue Act II

Act II

The party continues at the Sanada household.

The doorbell rings, and the population of the house remaining turns out to greet the newcomers.

Dr. Sanada says to the crowd, "This is quite a wonderful turnout we've got here! Thank you, all the wonderful sensor officers who staffed the Earth Defense Force war room and artifact carrier! I'm also very grateful to all of my other pilots and staff members who've turned out today!"

Dr. Rara addresses them all, "And thank you to all of my researchers from my island lab, and all of my RaRa Army staff who join us today!"

They sneak a peek at small cue cards to see if they've missed greeting anyone as the crowds cheer and file into the house, shuffling towards the buffet line.

Dr. Sanada continues to read the card, "I'm also proud to have with us my fellow faculty at the, er, whatever college it is I work at!" The crowd confusedly cheers.

Kazuki, falsely cheerful, gives his part of the address, "I'd like to," a sigh escapes, "welcome my classmates from school, including our very own United Team Alliance!"

The United Team Alliance hoots in approval and resumes fixedly staring at Mitsuki Sanada. She is pointedly staring at Kazuki.

Dr. Rara stares at his card and comments incredulously, "For some reason, we invited the construction workers of Kajishima Construction, whom I can't recall ever hearing of in my life."

Akane loudly tries to cover up the doctor's gaffe, "Why remember, they're the ones who unearthed the artifact in the first place."

The construction workers roar happily.

Akane addresses the crowd again, saying, "My gratitude goes out to the nameless men in black who did my bidding back when I was an Inspector."

The Men in Black mutter in ear communicators to each other, "Just don't say our only role was to take away Mitsuki Rara and we'll be happy."

Mrs. Nanjyoin now says to all gathered, "I'd also like to thank all of the loyal workers, crew members, contractors, and scientists, who helped us journey to Loki and back."

There is a round of applause, and everyone goes indoors.

In the buffet line, a professor from the college where Dr. Sanada works looks about quickly every few seconds. He tries to keep as much distance as he can from Ayuko, recalling that the last time he met her, all the way back in Interlude 10, she nearly bored him to tears with talk about fashion.

Kazuki says in an aside, "Oh no." He has encountered his friends Izawa and Shiozaki, clearly scanning the room looking for Mitsuki Sanada.

Izawa fervently tells him, "You can't keep us out this time, Kazuki!"

Shiozaki zealously adds to this, "Not even the Author can throw some horrible circumstance at us to keep us away from her! Every single cast member of Dual and the fanfiction in general has to make at least one appearance here! The Author decided that, and the Author has to stick to the rules!"

Kazuki reminds them nervously, "Uh, well, the treacherous crew people show up too, but they aren't in the house. I don't know if you guys can count on that rule."

* * *

On Loki, Plath decides, "We'll just have our own party! Start a conga line!" No one moves, but she begins to dance and sings wretchedly to a bizarre tune. "Ice, ice, ice, ice, you haven't won yet, Akane!"

* * *

Izawa is befuddled. "What just happened?" 

Kazuki informs them, "It was just a quick scene change. The Author's trying to be sophisticated. I usually try to ignore that sort of thing." Slade joins their group. D is in another part of the room, giggling with her friends Yoshiko and Michiko.

The United Team Alliance is standing still, holding up buffet line across the room, announcing, "We'll pay good money for whatever food Mitsuki Sanada cooked!"

Narayanan joins Izawa, Kazuki, Slade, Shiozaki and tells them, "The part I'm looking forward to is meeting the Author."

Slade is effusive: "Narayanan! Glad you could make it!" He introduces Narayanan to the group.

Shiozaki asks, "Has anyone seen your cousin, Kazuki? I can't see her in all this crowd."

Izawa complains, "Neither can I."

Kazuki asks, "Narayanan, did you say something about meeting the Author?"

Narayanan replies, "Meeting the Author, yes, I did say that. Well, I understand that part of the rules for this epilogue indicate that the Author is going to make a personal appearance at this party."

Slade jokes, "I should hope he'll skip the one on Loki!" There is general laughter.

Izawa, in an aside to Shiozaki, complains, "Man, nothing is fair in life. Kazuki gets all the girls, and otaku characters get to hear all the good information before we do. We've been here since the first episode!"

Shiozaki, in an aside to Izawa, suggests, "Yeah, but maybe we can beg the Author to let us go on a dream date with Ms. Sanada!"

They gasp in excitement. The noise catches the attention of a florist, who begins to glare at them. They assaulted him in Pioneers Chapter 2 as part of an insane attempt to deliver flowers to Mitsuki Sanada. Shiozaki and Izawa notice him and make a hasty exit. This leaves Slade and Narayanan free to greet Dr. Choi Hae-rim, also known as Naoko Yoshi and compliment her for her work on the shuttles used in the exploration of Loki.

Yoshi appreciates their praise, "Thank you very much. I was hoping the shuttles would perform as the stress tests indicated."

Slade says firmly, "Even better. I've never seen a space vehicle maneuver that well in atmosphere."

Yoshi smiles, "I'm so glad. All of the crew has returned safely, and we even get one last chance to wear formal attire before the end!"

They are soon joined by Will Lewis, fellow foreign graduate student, otaku character, and fellow veteran of RaRa Army's Chapter 1. All of them proceed to reminisce for a time.

* * *

Some hours later, everyone has returned to the living room. The crowd is so huge that there is standing room only. 

Dr. Sanada tells everyone, "Thank you all once again for coming to the epilogue. I'm sure you'll all enjoy this special treat: today, we hope to decide which woman Kazuki ends up with!"

Crowd applauds, as does the Audience reading the fanfiction. Well, okay, the Audience doesn't have to. But they should. Hmph.

Kazuki complains, "Uncle Sanada!"

The United Team Alliance suggests forcefully, "Maybe we should decide what happens to Ms. Sanada first!"

Akane, uncomfortably hemmed in, suggests, "Maybe we should all go outside. It's crowded here."

A nondescript person is noticed within their midst, whom no one recalls ever seeing before, or even entering the door.

Dr. Sanada greets the person confusedly, "Hello, I don't believe we've had the pleasure of making your acquaintance before."

The Nondescript Person acknowledges this, "Quite so. I am the Author."

There are gasps and whispers.

The Author continues, "Yes, and, well, let's take care of first things first. Does anyone have a question they want to ask me?"

Ayuko immediately asks, "I'd like to ask the Author a question about RaRa Army and Advent. Author, are you sure you got Ms. Rah's dialogue right? It seems different from what I recall."

The Author answers, "Well, I did want to avoid any copyright issues."

Everyone stares in puzzlement at him.

The Author uncertainly states, "But, it isn't the same? Are you sure? Uh, I think I thought it was the same."

Ayuko accuses, "You don't remember her lines, do you!"

The Author retorts, "I do too! Mostly."

Some people begin to titter and snicker.

The Author continues, "Well, now it's my turn to ask a question. I'd like to ask a question of Staff Officer Shibata, the strategist for Kazuki's first battle as an official pilot of the Earth Defense Force."

The Author whips out personal copies of Ultimate Fan Guide and Dual DVD Volume 1 as the crowd makes way for Shibata to come towards Author.

The Author asks, "Staff Officer Shibata, there's something we'd all like to ask you. Your biography indicates you're a real soldier, and you've had recent combat experience. Where did you get it?"

Shibata tells him, "I was a mercenary for a foreign country for a while."

Ayuko is suspicious. "You're making that up, aren't you."

The Author clarifies, "Technically I'm the person making that up."

D, reading Fan Guide over his shoulder, contends, "No, he got that out of here."

The Author overelaborates, "I mean, I'm the one making the reality, within this fanfiction in particular and nowhere else, that conforms to the idea I got from the book: that he was a mercenary. Hence, I'm making it up. Moving right along, Officer Shibata, just why do you like front-line action so much?"

Shibata straightforwardly asks the Author, "Why do you like typing derivative nonsense?"

The Author responds immediately and undefensively, "Because it's fun."

Shibata, in the same manner, informs him: "That's why I do it."

The Author queries, "Staff Officer Shibata, your bio says that you're married?"

Shibata tells him, "Yes, to a wonderful woman."

The Author grandly announces, "Staff Officer Shibata, this is your wife! No, no, no, I mean, this is your life!"

There is a drum roll, nobody can see any drums though they look in consternation for them, and Staff Officer Shibata's wife enters the room.

Akane whispers to Dr. Sanada, "The Author's never watched This Is Your Life, has he?"

Dr. Sanada whispers back, "No. He has no idea what he's doing. In that show or in the Dual show."

The doorbell rings, Mitsuki Sanada answers it. A middle-aged man and woman run past her, through the crowd, and to either side of Kazuki's chair. The Kajishima Construction workers cheer.

Dr. Hayase wonders, "Kazuki, do you know them?"

Masaki Yotsuga, the man, gruffly tells the room, "Of course he does, we're his parents! Masaki and Atsuko Yotsuga!"

Atsuko Yotsuga, the woman, hugs Kazuki and says, "Oh Kazuki, it's so good to see you again after being away on business for a whole decade!"

Kazuki happily greets them, "Wow, hi, Mom, Dad!"

The Author adds, "Ah, yes, and this is his life!"

Masaki waves to cheering Kajishima Construction workers and says, "Oh, thanks boys, you still remember me!"

The Author now asks him, "Mr. Masaki Yotsuga, I have a question for you. Were you the one who first found the artifact in the first few minutes of the series?"

Masaki gruffly and as though this is obvious, says, "Uh, yeah."

Atsuko also can't believe the Author is uncertain on this point. "The construction foreman called him by name, Yotsuga."

The Author quickly says, "Just double checking. I've always thought that was the case, but they didn't say a first name, and, oh, well." The Author suddenly becomes very absorbed in his Fan Guide.

Masaki comments in wonder, "Wow, I actually get a bit of a speaking part. I haven't had one since the second episode! This seems like a great time to announce that when we have to return to our overseas jobs, we'd like Kazuki to come with us!"

Mitsuki Sanada, Mitsuki Rara, D, and Yayoi shout in terror, "No!"

Masaki is astonished. "You mean we don't get to take our own son with us?"

The Author coughs in embarrassment, then decides to be the one to tell him. "Well, you see, it's not really anything you've done, like abandon him for a decade while you worked overseas, that's the problem here. It's just that if you do take him, you'll kind of break the story. I mean, you're kind of a no-nonsense guy, as far as I can tell, and these people kinda generate nonsense. So you wouldn't put up with most of the goings-on around here, and that would mean no more story. I'm afraid the audience isn't going to allow you to take him back unless everyone else can visit him as much as they want and be as silly as they want."

The Audience applauds.

Atsuko insists, "Like you said, though, we did leave Kazuki with his uncle for roughly ten years. We don't want to impose on Dr. Sanada any more. Hm."

Masaki gruffly puts out, "What, dear?"

Atsuko asks, "Honey, can you remember if Dr. Sanada is your brother or mine?"

Kazuki is confused, "I didn't think either of you was related to Uncle Sanada; I thought Aunt Akane was your sister, Mom."

Akane reminds them, "No, I'm Ayuko's sister."

Ayuko ponders, "Maybe you're also the sister of Atsuko. That means that I now have two little sisters."

Yayoi posits, "By my reckoning, in this new world, Kazuki, all the Mitsukis, and D, are cousins."

Atsuko lays out the problem: "Dr. Sanada is Kazuki's uncle, so either I or Masaki is related to either Dr. Sanada or Akane. Or maybe Masaki or I is the sibling of Ayuko or Dr. Rara. But which is it?"

Everyone looks at each other blankly. Nobody actually knows.

Akane says in resignation, "It's nice that we're all together, but all of these new family relations are a bit inconvenient and strange."

Mits disagrees kindly, "I don't think so."

Mitsuki Rara says, "Yes, it's nice to have a sister,"

Mits agrees, "especially a twin."

Mitsuki Rara and Mits say together, "We can finish each other's sentences!"

Slade claps in appreciation.

Mitsuki Sanada says slyly, "Kazuki probably forgot to define exactly how we were supposed to all be related, and got it all mixed up."

Kazuki, stung by the injustice of this remark, retorts, "Hey, how was that my responsibility? I didn't make this place alone, you know."

D realizes, "I just thought of something! Now Zinv's my cousin!"

Masaki is at a loss for words, "Huh?"

D elaborates, "Well, Zinv is Kazuki, and Kazuki is my cousin, so now Zinv is my cousin!"

Dr. Sanada amiably tells Kazuki, "I've always wanted to have a giant robot for a nephew. Especially one I could perform experiments on."

Dr. Rara smirks, "Yep. Too bad you still need my lab to do experiments!" He laughs at Dr. Sanada.

Slade breaks into what might be a quarrel, "Say, this means that all three Mitsukis are the nieces of Mrs. Atsuko Yotsuga."

Atsuko surprised, thinks, then responds, "Why, that's so. I have always wanted good nieces."

Yayoi continues the thought "Yes, and that makes Slade and Kazuki cousins in law."

Slade comprehends, "So now Dr. Sanada's my uncle too."

Dr. Sanada excitedly comments "I never expected when I offered you a part-time job that you'd end up as my nephew! This is just great!"

Akane and Ayuko stare at each other uneasily.

Ayuko comments without enthusiasm, "Just wonderful, isn't it, little sister?"

Akane resignedly replies, "Just so, big sister."

Masaki is getting fed up with this, and finding it hard to follow or care. "So, are both of you my older sisters or not? I was hoping for some certainty here. Surely it's not that hard to find out."

Dr. Rara realizes excitedly, "Of course not! All we need are some comprehensive blood tests!"

Dr. Sanada waves in his enthusiasm, nearly hitting several crowded-in people, "Yes! We'll begin by identifying all of his chromosomes, and then- oh, wait! We need to analyze Masaki's, Atsuko's, well, actually all of us! All of our physical, astral, and mental patterns, over a period of two weeks of immobility!"

Masaki mutters, "Thanks, brother-in-law, or whatever you are."

Dr. Rara also waves, "In fact, we ought to re-analyze each of us to see if synthesizing these new worlds has altered our patterns in any way! Then we'll begin getting statistical samples from the global population-"

Mrs. Nanjyoin asks calmly, "How will we do all that when we're exploring outer space?"

Atsuko peers at Mrs. Nanjyoin inquisitively. "Are you related to us, by any chance?"

Mrs. Nanjyoin placidly informs her, "Not as far as I know. Quite a pity."


	58. Epilogue Act III

Act III

Everyone is still crowded in the Sanada living room.

Ayuko inquires, "I'd like to ask the Author if Kent Slade is just a wish fulfillment."

The Author is annoyed. "You already asked a question. Let somebody else have a turn."

Dr. Rara says, "I'd like to ask that question."

The Author, with a rolling of eyes, huffs, "Oookay. Fine. So, the question is, is Kent Slade just a way of vicariously experiencing my own personal fantasies?"

Slade, nervously tapping top of Mits' chair, behind which he is standing, decides, "I ought to leave the room."

The Author assures himi, "No, cool your jets. There's nothing terribly embarrassing here. Listen, while he may do a lot of things I'd like to do, I certainly hope I built Slade better than that. He's not just someone I made up to do everything I want to do. I mean, there's tons of ways we're different. Just look at our hair!"

Mits looks at them both and agrees, "I see what you mean."

Ayuko is unconvinced. "The hair may be different, but the mind is the same."

The Author insists, "No, it's not. Slade also likes stuff that I don't like, and he knows tons of stuff that I don't know."

Mitsuki S. is also suspicious. "Maybe even though you two are as different as all that, he still exists for the purpose of wish fulfillment."

Yayoi suggests, "Perhaps you could give us an example of how your minds are different."

The Author states, "I don't go tapping my fingers all the time."

Slade hurriedly pulls his hands off the top of the chair.

Akane queries, "Do you have any more substantive examples?"

The Author, growing impatient, cites, "I've never built a spaceship that went to another planet."

Yayoi is also suspicious. "That's a task you made Slade do as part of the fanfiction. It doesn't prove that he knows things that you don't."

The Author points out, "Well, I wouldn't know where to begin, whereas he and Dr. Warai did!"

Dr. Warai looks around him. "Why are you badgering the Author on this point? Surely this doesn't matter now!"

Mitsuki S. informs them all, "Slade's been a tough opponent and a good ally, and I just want to know the truth." Yayoi nods.

Dr. Rara protests, "What's wrong with getting to know my son-in-law a little better?"

Akane declares, "I'm looking out for Kazuki. The Author's bias may influence the decision that we all come to at the end of this epilogue. If Slade is wish fulfillment, and Slade married someone identical to Mitsuki Rara, then the Author must think that Mitsuki Rara is the best choice. I don't think the Author should let personal bias influence a decision Kazuki will have to live with."

The Author shakes his head. "Now, I refuse to say whether this is my wish fulfillment or not, because if I did, I'd get flames from all the fans who prefer the rest of you young ladies."

A brief vision of flaming arrows of email occurs to the Author.

The Author continues, "Now, even assuming the story is a reflection of what I want-"

Akane, Mitsuki S., and Yayoi in unison say, "It is."

The Author continues doggedly, "-that would only reflect which one I'd pick, hypothetically. It clearly has nothing to do with which one of you Kazuki would pick."

Slade notes, "Good point."

Ayuko is unimpressed. "Of course you'd agree with him. You're just an imitation of him."

Dr. Rara questions, "So what you're saying, Author, is that you have no idea of whom Kazuki would pick?"

Author coughs and looks at his feet.

Dr. Sanada guesses, "I'd always guessed he'd pick-"

Dr. Rara cuts in, "Like you'd know? Clearly he'll pick-"

Ayuko smiles and says, "I think I have a rather better insight into Kazuki's interesting character. He'll pick-"

The Author hastily breaks in, "But my point is that it's just that. Just guesses."

Alice puts it together in her own way. "Only Kazuki knows what Kazuki wants. Makes sense to me."

Mena changes the subject, "Speaking of knowing what we want, are we ever going to get lives of our own?"

Mitsuki R., concerned for their welfare, says, "Yes, I was getting worried that they'd have to be in my shadow forever. The war's over; surely they can have time to find themselves now? I want them to be happy."

Akane doesn't see any problem. "The story's done now, isn't it? They're free to do as they wish."

Ayuko is opposed. "Says who, sister? My Mitsuki still needs protection."

Dr. Warai cannot believe this. "From what?"

Ayuko deigns to ignore him.

Ryla offers a suggestion. "Maybe we could just renegotiate our contracts, get a few hours off, but still get to protect Ms. Mitsuki. After all, it is rather fun around here."

Dr. Hayase guiltily agrees, "It certainly is, but I feel rather bad about imposing on Dr. Sanada all the time. We practically crowd him out of his house."

Dr. Warai suggests cunningly, "Maybe we could arrange for someone to move out."

Kumu sharply barks, "If you're advocating getting rid of me to make room, forget it."

Dr. Warai mutters inaudibly, "How did she know?"

D scoops up Kumu and says, "Don't be silly Kumu. Of course we're keeping you."

Kazuki feels the need to say, "I would appreciate it if you stopped biting me though."

Kumu isn't conceding anything. "Don't count on it."

Shiozaki and Izawa ask rapturously, "You don't mind us hanging around, do you Ms. Sanada? We'd like to visit you a lot just like they do!"

Mitsuki S. is the soul of politeness. "No, in fact I appreciate your being here. I'm sure you can help us a lot: with so much company, there's so many dishes to do."

Shiozaki, Izawa, and United Team Alliance turn to the Author in desperation and request, "Please, could you clone some more Mitsukis for us?"

The Author is perturbed by this turn of events. "First of all, I didn't clone anybody."

D, slightly offended, asks, "What's wrong with clones?"

Shiozaki, Izawa, and United Team Alliance beg, "Well, just don't torment us by having her marry her own little brother! Or cousin! Or whatever!"

Mits is sorely confused. "He's not her little brother, why would you ever think that-"

Dr. Hayase whispers in her ear.

Mits replies to her in an accidentally normal voice, "Oh. Uh... Huh? That doesn't make any sense!"

Dr. Hayase whispers back, "No, but they made them pretend to be siblings anyways!"

The Author suggests, "Well, really, perhaps we should let Kazuki decide which of you he wants?"

Kazuki is encouraged. "Yeah, I'm all for that!"

Mitsuki S. throws out this idea. "Are you crazy? He never knows how to do anything right!"

Yayoi points out. "As his teacher, I'm obliged to advise him in major life decisions."

D is worried. "But if he does that, won't he have to leave here and go to another house?"

Mitsuki R. says happily, "Oh, choosing for himself, that sounds like a wonderful idea!"

Everyone stares at her.

Akane worries, "Isn't he a little young for this? It'd be more responsible if he actually had a job first."

Kazuki sees his chance slipping away. "Hold on, why don't I get to pick?"

Prof. Sanada laughs, "It must be this world's revenge for you not letting Akane and I pick."

Akane kicks him.

Dr. S in alarm, reassures her, "Hey, I would've picked you!"

Akane tightly replies, "Yes, dear."

Dr. S joking, turns to Dr. Rara and grins, "Of course, I would've picked her just to spite the idiot!"

Dr. R. rises to the bait. "Oh yeah, stupid? I think I got the better of the two sisters!"

Dr. S. retorts, "Yeah, but I remember when we were dating them, I had the better car!"

Dr. R. shakes his head, "I'm the rich one here, I had the better car!"

Mitsuki S. is annoyed. "We're missing the point. Kazuki needs to pick one of us."

The Author thinks of something. "You know, who says that Kazuki has to pick one of you four? Maybe he wants to pick somebody else."

All four girls glare at him.

Yayoi icily states. "I don't appreciate your implication."

D is angry. "You're mean!"

Mitsuki S. says nothing and cracks her knuckles.

Yayoi calculates the best way to slap the Author.

D and Mitsuki R prepare to glare and cry simultaneously.

The Author gulps in fear.

Dr. Rara chuckles, "You're in trouble now!"

The Author quickly uses his creative license to make everyone forget his question.

Yayoi comments, "That won't work. We just reread the script."

The Author flees in terror, knowing no creative license can save him now.

Akane puts her hand to her forehead. "He really crossed the line that time, didn't he?"

Dr. Sanada says sadly, "I pity that fool."

Ayuko seems highly diverted. "He deserves what's coming to him."

The Bodyguard Trio and the female students of Nanjyo Academy are chanting: "No mercy! No mercy!"

Dr. Hayase says calmingly, "I believe the point has been made."

Mrs. Nanjyoin nods.

Dr. Warai realizes the Author is too far away to hear all this and shouts, "Please, put down the knife! I'm sure the Author will apologize!" He chuckles softly.

Everyone looks around. No one has a knife. Dr. Warai laughs more.

The Author, after hyperventilating, checks the prop list and realizes that knives are not on the set. He sighs in relief and realizes he deserves that scare for his ill-considered question and forcing Dr. Warai to use dated slang.

Dr. Warai is satisfied. "Quite right."

Naoko Yoshi decides to ask, "Kazuki, we are all curious, though. Which of the four would you pick?"

Mitsuki S. begins drawing an elimination chart. "We'll know once we get this done."

Yayoi glares at the chart and speaks her mind. "I think we need to choose a more fair method than that."

D recommends, "We could do what we always do. Each of us will make a meal for him, except this time we'll force him to tell us which one he likes better."

Kazuki doesn't believe his ears. "But I like all of your cooking! And that's no way to choose a wife!"

Mitsuki S. turns to her logical alternative. "Then let's start the elimination chart."

Kazuki cries, "That's not what I meant!"

Masaki suggests, "If we can't take him with us, maybe we could decide for him."

Kazuki turns to his father. "I'm still in school, Dad! Can't I wait a few years like Aunt Akane said?"

Mitsuki R. tells him, "Of course you can, Kazuki. We'll all be very happy to wait."

Yayoi and Mitsuki S. glare at her.

Alice whispers to Kazuki, "I think our Mitsuki has your best interests in mind."

Ryla whispers to Kazuki, "Yes, definitely."

Mena whispers to Kazuki, "Just say a few words and you'll be together forever!"

D says in slight annoyance, "Everyone can see you three trying to sway his mind."

Dr. Hayase recommends, "Perhaps we should change to a different subject."

Mitsuki S. is quickly scribbling on her chart, "I'll have this done soon, don't change yet."

Kazuki is aggrieved. "Why don't I get to choose? I never get to choose anything in this whole series! Why can't Dual let me choose something?"

Dr. Sanada is surprised. "I didn't know you felt that way. You do like it around here, don't you Kazuki?"

Kazuki says honestly, "Yeah, I do like it here, I just want to be able to choose for myself. Really, this is a great life. I mean, isn't Dual- isn't Dual-"

All Cast and Audience say in unison, "Isn't Dual great?"

* * *

**Ending Credits:**

Great minds think alike. I did read several Dual fanfictions after I had the ideas for writing mine, but I had my ideas first and tried not to steal. "Dual! What Is This Emotion Love? When We Least Expect It Pt. 2," by COHugh, has Ms. Hayase becoming a doctor, a title she richly deserves. Also, Clayton Overstreet's "Dual Episode 15 Decision" came to the same conclusion I had independently; Yayoi would be able to pilot a robot in the synthesis world. Also, I believe many fanfictions, including Interstellar Dual! by Xtor49 and Thorin Blauvelt recognized the bizarre web of family relations that now exists in the synthesis universe.

Acknowledgements:

I'd like to thank and acknowledge my beta readers Blue Comet and Shiori Hitohana for putting up with my initial versions of my stories.

The Dual DVD (Digital Video Disc) extras and the "Dual! Ultimate Fan Guide" by Guardians of Order proved extremely helpful to me. If I misinterpreted them, it's my fault.

On The Use Of Characters:

Finally, please feel free to use these characters and ideas in your own fanfictions. Do it in your head or in writing, whether you liked how I did the story or not. As I understand it, since it's a fanfiction, I own nothing within the story anyways. Of course, I haven't exactly consulted a lawyer about that. Don't depend on me for your legal advice!


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